President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has described China as Maldives' closest friend on the path of development.
He made the statement at the Invest Maldives Forum at the Fuzhou Strait International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Fuzhou, China.
"The fact that I am here in China on my first state level visit is testament to the commitment of His Excellency President Xi Jinping and the people of China to the Maldives. We have no doubt that China will be our closest partner in development," Muizzu said.
Muizzu began his first state visit on Monday. He is accompanied by many senior government officials and several businessmen.
During the Invest Maldives Forum, Muizzu spoke on the long-standing relationship between the Maldives and China, which dates back to the ancient Maritime Silk Road.
He stated that China remains one of the closest allies and developmental partners of Maldives and noted that the Maldives became a party to the Belt and Road Initiative in 2014.
"The new vision for our central airport that I launched just few days before I arrived here, and the Commercial Port Project are key strategic initiatives of my Government that are in alignment with the BRI vision of land, ocean, air and digital connectivity. The Government is keen for exploring and taking partnerships for these projects under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative," he added.
Muizzu also highlighted the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed between China and the Maldives, citing that the FTA would boost bilateral trade and investments, particularly by increasing the export of fish products to China, marking it as a key priority explored within the FTA.
