Maldives and Sri Lanka have signed two significant bilateral agreements, one of which is an agreement on providing legal assistance in criminal cases, reaffirming their commitment to deepening cooperation in diplomacy and legal affairs.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and visiting Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. 

The key agreements included a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Diplomatic Training and the Exchange of Information and Documents, and a Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.

The MoU was signed between the Foreign Service Institute of Maldives (FOSIM) and the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute (BIDTI) of Sri Lanka. 

The agreement aims to facilitate collaboration in diplomatic training, knowledge-sharing, and the exchange of institutional resources and official documents, enhancing professional development and institutional cooperation between the two nations' foreign services.

Alongside the MoU, the two governments also signed a treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, which had earlier received Cabinet approval. 

The treaty aims to strengthen bilateral legal cooperation by enabling support in criminal investigations, prosecutions, and the sharing of evidence and intelligence.

These agreements mark a renewed commitment to bilateral engagement, underscoring over six decades of friendly relations and shared regional priorities between the Maldives and Sri Lanka.