Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer has begun an official visit to the United States, focusing on reinforcing the bilateral relations between the Maldives and the United States. During the visit, scheduled from 24 to 27 June, Minister Zameer is expected to engage in high-level discussions with senior officials from the US government and the United Nations.
Minister Zameer’s itinerary is scheduled to begin in Washington, D.C., according to the Foreign Ministry, where he is set to meet with a host of senior US officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power. These meetings are poised to cement the partnership between the two nations further and reaffirm the Maldives’ commitment to multilateralism, the ministry said in a statement.
In addition to the meetings, Minister Zameer will participate in an interactive session at the Council of Foreign Relations as part of a broader effort to foster dialogue on international relations and policy. The Minister is also slated to connect with the Maldivian community residing in Washington, D.C.
Following his engagements in the US capital, Minister Zameer will travel to New York for meetings with senior U.N. figures, including Secretary-General António Guterres and Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua, according to the Foreign Ministry.
The visit also includes meetings with tour operators and travel advisors based in New York. Additionally, Minister Zameer will meet with the Maldivians residing in New York and New Jersey, the statement said.
The diplomatic exchanges between the Maldives and the US have seen a significant increase since President Mohamed Muizzu assumed office in November 2023. The past seven months have witnessed a series of high-level visits and talks between the two nations, signalling an era of enhanced diplomatic ties.
Notably, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu and Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma have both visited the Maldives.
These engagements have yielded tangible outcomes, including the U.S.’s pledge to provide patrol boats to enhance maritime security in the Maldives and explore investment opportunities through the US Federal Government’s Development Finance Corporation.