Pakistan-Maldives relations to be enhanced: PM

Maldives Minister for Defence and National Security, Tholhath Ibrahim, called on Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday and thanked the PM for extending generous assistance in holding the SAARC Summit at Addu in terms of provision of logistical support such as equipments, vehicles, security kits, medicines and training facilities.

PM congratulated Ibrahim for making excellent arrangements during the SAARC Summit, according to statement of PM House. Gilani extended deep sense of gratitude to the Maldives’ President Mohamad Nasheed for arranging his meeting with the Indian PM Dr Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of SAARC Summit and also with the president of Sri Lanka, prime minister of Bhutan, prime minister of Bangladesh and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

PM said that Pakistan would continue to extend cooperation to Maldives in the fields of education, information technology, and defence besides provision of training facilities to both civilians and personnel of the armed forces.

Gilani renewed his invitation to the Maldives’ president to visit Pakistan, adding that he was looking forward to the visit which would further strength the bilateral relations between the two countries. He further said that Pakistan wanted to improve its relations with its neighbours especially with the SAARC countries and would support any reconciliation process in Afghanistan. He said that Pakistan was also keen to see Afghanistan as a stable, prosperous and independent country because Pakistan’s stability was intertwined with the stability of our western brotherly neighbour.

Maldives delegation underscored the need of continuing cooperation between both countries in various fields, adding that more vistas of opportunity should be explored, as there was immense economic potential, which needed to be harnessed. Maldives also sought Pakistan’s assistance in the field of maritime.