President Muizzu voices wish to build defence cooperation with Malaysia

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has today announced that he is eager to build defence cooperation with Malaysia, and appealed for assistance from Malaysia's digital economy.

A joint press conference was held today after official talks and signing of MoUs between the two countries, on President Muizzu's ongoing official visit to Malaysia.

In his address, President Muizzu reflected on the close ties between Maldives and Malaysia.

He said that while it has been 57 years since diplomatic relations were established between Maldives and Malaysia, the two countries have always remained friendly and cooperative. He highlighted that over the past years, Malaysia has become the number one chosen destination for students from Maldives going abroad for higher studies.

The President said that one of the reasons for this is the eases in the visa process that Malaysia has granted to Maldivians, extending thanks to the Malaysian government.

The President also noted Malaysia's assistance towards developing human resources in the Maldives. As an example, he spoke of how the The Malaysian Technical Corporation Program has trained several Maldivian civil servants. The President also thanked Malaysia for the numerous scholarship opportunities they grant to Maldivian students.

The President stated that fruitful discussions were held in today's meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The agreements signed today are of special importance to both countries, he said.

The President expressed hopes of expanding cooperation to further sectors, including defence.

He stated that Malaysia's Halal industry and digital economy are exemplary, and appealed for sharing expertise in both areas with Maldives.

As Maldives is on a journey to build a digital economy, Malaysia's assistance would be greatly appreciated, he said. As such, he requested for assistance in Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security.

President Muizzu also said that it is in his vision to further expand economic ties with Malaysia. He invited Malaysian businesses to invest in the Maldives, highlighting that there are opportunities especially in the Special Economic Zone, business sector, financial services, maritime economy and digital economy. He announced that an Investment Forum will be held in Malaysia today where further details of this will be shared.

In his address, the President also called for a free Palestine, commending Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar for his strong stance in the cause.