Moosa Zameer, the Foreign Affairs Minister of the Maldives, met with Jean-François Pactet, the French Ambassador to the Maldives, on Tuesday and discussed the prospect of simplifying visa procedures for Maldivian citizens travelling to Europe.
The discussions, which took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during Ambassador Pactet’s call on Minister Zameer, encompassed the fortification of existing cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including economic development, adaptation to climate change, security cooperation, and fostering people-to-people contact, according to the foreign ministry. A significant topic of discussion was the potential reduction of tariffs imposed on Maldivian fish products.
At the meeting, Minister Zameer and Ambassador Pactet further explored the scope of multilateral cooperation between the two nations, particularly emphasising issues pertinent to small island developing states, marine ecosystems, and biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction.
Zameer expressed the Maldives’ readiness to collaborate with France on shared objectives, the foreign ministry said. In reciprocation, Ambassador Pactet pledged his commitment to work with the Maldivian government to further enhance bilateral cooperation.
France, a prominent member of the European Union and the Group of Seven (G7), holds a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. The Maldives established diplomatic ties with France on 20 May 1969.