Senior Officials’ Talks Set Path for Stronger Maldives–Australia Partnership
- The Maldives and Australia agreed to formalise their longstanding relationship as a partnership following senior officials' talks in Malé.
- Discussions covered defence, maritime security, trade, investment, tourism, education, health and climate cooperation, with reviews of the CGS Imaduddin patrol boat and new Malé–Melbourne direct flights.
- Both sides reaffirmed commitment to Indo-Pacific stability and pledged cooperation in multilateral forums on climate change and issues affecting Small Island Developing States.
The Maldives and Australia have agreed to work towards formalising their longstanding relationship as a partnership, following senior officials’ talks in Malé that covered security, trade, tourism and climate cooperation.
The third Maldives–Australia Senior Officials’ Talks brought together representatives from government ministries and agencies of both countries. The discussions were co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Fathimath Inaya and Australia’s First Assistant Secretary for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Sarah Storey.
Officials reviewed recent developments in bilateral relations, including Australia’s gifting of the Guardian-class patrol boat commissioned as CGS Imaduddin on Sunday and the start of direct flights between Malé and Melbourne in May.
The two sides discussed broader cooperation in defence, security and maritime affairs, including maritime domain awareness, aviation and port security, cybersecurity, countering violent extremism and law enforcement.
The Maldives welcomed Australian support for developing its maritime capabilities and resilience in the Indian Ocean, where sea-based security remains closely tied to economic activity, trade routes and environmental protection.
Economic discussions covered bilateral trade, investment, fiscal resilience and tourism. Both governments said direct air connectivity between Malé and Melbourne could support tourism, business travel and wider people-to-people links.
The talks also considered cooperation in education, vocational and teacher training, health, medicine regulation, emergency response, environmental protection, climate resilience and women’s empowerment. The Maldives expressed appreciation for Australia Awards Scholarships and other capacity-building programmes.
Both sides exchanged views on regional developments and reaffirmed their commitment to peace, stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean and wider Indo-Pacific. They also discussed working together in multilateral forums on climate change, sustainable development and issues affecting Small Island Developing States.
The governments said they would pursue practical cooperation and regular dialogue in areas of shared interest.
