President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed were formally welcomed in Singapore yesterday, as part of the President’s ongoing state visit to commemorate five decades of diplomatic relations between the Maldives and Singapore.
The ceremonial reception took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the couple was received by Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and First Lady Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam. President Muizzu inspected a Guard of Honour before being introduced to senior Singaporean officials alongside Maldivian delegates.
This visit, scheduled from 29 June to 2 July 2025, coincides with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two island nations, formally established on 20 February 1975.
During a courtesy call on President Shanmugaratnam, both leaders reflected on the evolution of Maldives–Singapore relations and expressed mutual commitment to strengthen cooperation in areas such as sustainable energy, infrastructure, education and fisheries development. President Muizzu also presented his counterpart with a commemorative publication documenting the milestones in bilateral ties over the past five decades.
Later in the day, President Muizzu held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who also serves as Singapore’s Minister for Finance. Discussions focused on economic cooperation, particularly in light of the Maldives’ aspirations to diversify beyond tourism. Both sides considered ways to enhance fisheries exports, attract investments in renewable energy, and deepen exchanges in technical education and urban planning.
The leaders also reiterated the shared vulnerabilities of small island states and agreed to collaborate more closely on multilateral platforms to address common challenges, especially climate change.
The engagements culminated in the signing of three key memoranda of understanding aimed at expanding collaboration between the two countries:
- An MoU on capacity building between the two governments.
- An MoU on cooperation in environmental sustainability between the Maldives Ministry of Tourism and Environment and Singapore’s Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment.
- An MoU between the Institute of Technical Education, Singapore, and the Maldives Ministry of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development, focusing on technical and vocational training, education policy and research.
The signings were witnessed by President Muizzu and Prime Minister Wong at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore, reinforcing a shared vision to broaden cooperation in the years ahead.
