SAARC Monitoring Desk ISLAMABAD : Acting Chairman Senate Syedaal Khan Nasar held a meeting with Speaker of the People’s Majlis of the Republic of Maldives Abdul Raheem Abdullah, who was accompanied by a parliamentary delegation, at a local hotel in Islamabad. The meeting discussed Pakistan-Maldives bilateral relations, parliamentary diplomacy, trade and investment, education, defence, tourism, climate change, people-to-people contacts and other matters of mutual interest.
Welcoming the Speaker and the distinguished Maldivian parliamentary delegation to Pakistan, the Acting Chairman Senate said that Pakistan-Maldives relations were rooted in mutual respect, trust, shared interests, Islamic brotherhood and longstanding friendly ties. He said Pakistan attaches great importance to its relations with Maldives not only bilaterally but also within the frameworks of SAARC, the OIC and the United Nations.
Syedaal Khan Nasar emphasized the important role of parliamentary diplomacy in promoting mutual understanding, institutional cooperation and people-to-people contacts between the two countries. He called for further expansion of parliamentary exchanges, sharing of experiences and institutional linkages between the two legislatures.
The Acting Chairman Senate said that Pakistan and Maldives have significant potential to further expand trade and economic cooperation. He stressed the need for enhanced direct air and maritime connectivity, improved market access and greater involvement of the private sector to promote bilateral trade and investment. He noted that Pakistan has considerable export potential in textiles, rice, cement, meat, vegetables, fruits, pharmaceuticals and other sectors.
He also emphasized the need to create greater educational opportunities for Maldivian students in Pakistani universities, particularly in medicine, engineering, pharmacy, dentistry and other professional disciplines.
Speaking about climate change, Syedaal Khan Nasar said that both Pakistan and Maldives are among the countries significantly affected by the adverse impacts of climate change. He called for greater cooperation in climate-related research, exchange of experiences, capacity building and joint initiatives.
He also stressed the importance of further enhancing cooperation in defence training, maritime security and capacity building, saying that stronger institutional cooperation in these areas would contribute to strengthening mutual confidence and bilateral relations.
The Acting Chairman Senate highlighted the Parliament building in Malé as a prominent symbol of the longstanding friendship, brotherhood and development cooperation between Pakistan and Maldives. He said Pakistan’s contribution to the construction of the Maldivian Parliament and its support for other development projects reflected the depth and enduring nature of bilateral ties.
Speaker of the People’s Majlis Abdul Raheem Abdullah agreed with the views of the Acting Chairman Senate and said that Maldives greatly values its fraternal relations with Pakistan. He noted that bilateral relations had become deeper and stronger in recent years, and expressed Maldives’ desire to further expand cooperation with Pakistan in trade, investment, education, defence and diplomatic affairs.
The Maldivian Speaker appreciated Pakistan’s constructive role at the international level, saying that Maldives takes pride in Pakistan’s contributions and support. He said Pakistan had consistently stood by Maldives during difficult times and extended assistance in various fields.
Expressing gratitude for Pakistan’s assistance, development support and various cooperation programmes, including the construction of the Parliament building in Malé, the Speaker said that Maldives deeply appreciates and values these initiatives.
Both sides expressed satisfaction over the existing bilateral cooperation and agreed on the importance of exploring new avenues to further strengthen relations between Pakistan and Maldives.
Members of the National Assembly, Senators, members of the Maldivian parliamentary delegation and senior officials of the Senate Secretariat were also present during the meeting.
