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Pakistan, Maldives sign 4 MoUs to boost cooperation

Xinhua, May 7, 2015 Adjust font size:

Pakistan and the Maldives on Thursday signed four memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to increase cooperation in various fields including to curb narcotics smuggling, officials said.

The visiting President of Maldives Abdulla Yaameen Abdul Gayoom and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif witnessed the signing ceremony after they held official talks, the PM office said.

The MoUs are related to Sports, Health, Education, and Narcotics, which would help in further consolidating bilateral relations.

Under one MoU, both countries will strengthen a mechanism for combating illicit trafficking and abuse of narcotics drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors, a statement from the PM office said.

Other MoUs are related to bilateral cooperation in the field of sports, health and education.

Pakistan and the Maldives are members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation that also groups Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

The President of Maldives arrived in Islamabad on a two-day official visit Wednesday evening and held formal talks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday.

Speaking at a joint press conference, the two leaders said they reviewed whole aspect of bilateral ties and focused expanding cooperation in the fields of defence and tourism.

The prime minister said Pakistan is aware of Maldives' concerns on climate and environmental issues and is willing to cooperate on these issues bilaterally with Maldives as well as under the ambit of SAARC.

"Pakistan and Maldives must continue to closely coordinate their positions on the platform of SAARC with an aim to make it a model of regional cooperation, based on the principles of sovereign equality," Sharif said.

The prime minister said bilateral trade between Pakistan and Maldives is below the true potential and emphasized that steps should be taken to increase it.

The Maldivian president in his remarks said bilateral relations in defence, infrastructure and human resource have been expanded and hoped that mutual cooperation in other fields will also be increased in result of his visit.

He termed his visit as opening of new era of cooperation between the two countries. He extended invitation to visit Maldives and participate in Independence Day celebrations. Endi