A high-level delegation of political leaders and civil society representatives from Europe and South Asia concluded a two-day visit to Malé on Tuesday aimed at strengthening political, economic and climate cooperation, according to the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF), a Germany-based non-profit organisation that promotes liberal-democratic values worldwide.
The visit, part of a South Asia study tour covering India, Bangladesh and Bhutan, sought “to intensify connections between Europe, particularly Germany, and one of the world’s dynamic growth regions of South Asia, and to highlight the potential for mutual learning,” said Dr Carsten Klein, Regional Director of the FNF South Asia.
The delegation included Sandra Weeser, member of the German Bundestag; Dr Marcus Faber, chairperson of the Bundestag Defence Committee; Dr Jürgen Martens, president of Deutsche Gruppe der Liberal International; and other prominent figures from German politics, the economy and civil society.
During the visit, the delegates held high-level meetings with the chairperson of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the Mayor of Malé, and the deputy speaker of the People’s Majlis, and took part in a guided tour of parliament. They also met the Maldives-German Friendship Group to discuss democratic reforms, legislative transparency, climate change adaptation, and political collaboration between South Asia and Europe.
“As one of the strategically important Indian Ocean nations, the Maldives plays a vital role in regional maritime security and Indo-Pacific stability,” the FNF said. “Renowned globally as a premier tourist destination and an important economic partner in fisheries, the Maldives is central to regional cooperation, climate change discussion, and sustainable ocean governance in Asia.”
The visit also covered economic cooperation, skilled-labour migration, political engagement, and expanding the Maldives-Germany relations.
The FNF, founded in 1958 by former German President Theodor Heuss, is a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting freedom, liberalism, democracy, human rights, pluralism, tolerance, climate action, and the rule of law. Funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and headquartered in Potsdam near Berlin, the FNF works in over 60 countries worldwide, including Southeast Asia, where it has maintained a presence since 1969 through seven regional offices. It collaborates with governments, NGOs, academia, activists, and businesses to foster civic education, dialogue, and sustainable development rooted in liberal-democratic values.
The FNF South Asia regularly organises study tours to promote mutual understanding and cooperation between Europe and the rapidly growing and increasingly important South Asian region.