The Maldives and the European Union have held their first official Partnership Dialogue, marking a new phase in bilateral relations between the two sides.
The high-level talks took place in the Maldives, building on Senior Officials’ Meetings that have been held annually since 2020. The meeting was co-chaired by Maldives Foreign Secretary Fathimath Inaya and Paola Pampaloni, Deputy Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service.
The dialogue follows the Maldives’ signing of the Samoa Agreement in July 2024, which formally elevated engagement with the EU into a structured partnership framework.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation across a wide range of areas, including democratic governance, human rights, climate action, maritime and regional security, trade, fisheries, and people-to-people exchanges.
The EU and the Maldives stressed the importance of upholding democratic values and fundamental rights, including freedom of expression and opinion, and ensuring space for a vibrant civil society. Discussions also covered recent political, economic, and social developments in both the Maldives and the EU, with a focus on infrastructure development, sound financial management, anti-corruption efforts, digital transformation, education, and economic diversification.
The Maldives expressed appreciation for the EU’s continued support for democratic processes, particularly through recommendations from EU Election Observation Follow-up Missions, whose most recent visit concluded in November 2025. The EU reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing support in these areas and encouraged the Maldives to comply with its obligations as a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Security cooperation featured prominently in the talks. The Maldives acknowledged EU support through training and regional maritime initiatives, including the CRIMARIO programme, which aims to safeguard key maritime routes. Both sides identified practical ways to deepen security cooperation in the coming years.
Economic discussions focused on expanding bilateral trade and improving market access for Maldivian fish products within the EU. The two sides also exchanged views on tariff barriers and reforms aimed at attracting investment and supporting sustainable, long-term growth.
Climate resilience and environmental protection were also key themes. Both parties expressed commitment to finalising a financing agreement under the EU’s Annual Action Programme 2025 for a community-based mangrove protection and rehabilitation project. The agreement is expected to allocate an additional four million euros towards mangrove conservation in the Maldives.
The EU highlighted its offer of Earth observation data through the Copernicus satellite system and outlined new programmes to counter the misuse of technology by terrorist and criminal groups, including efforts to prevent violent extremism online. The EU also reaffirmed its engagement under the Global Gateway Strategy to promote sustainable investment.
The Maldives, meanwhile, called for its inclusion among countries exempt from Schengen visa requirements. Regional and global developments in the Indo-Pacific were also discussed, with both sides reaffirming their support for effective multilateralism and a rules-based international order, with the United Nations at its core.
The dialogue concluded with a shared commitment to translating discussions into tangible outcomes, and with talks on the possibility of holding the second Maldives-EU Partnership Dialogue in Brussels in 2027.