Maldives and Australia have agreed to work toward establishing a formal bilateral partnership, paving the way for closer cooperation in defense, security, trade, climate action, and other areas of mutual interest.

The commitment was reached during the third Maldives–Australia Senior Officials' Talks held in Malé, where senior representatives from both governments reviewed bilateral relations and discussed regional and global priorities.

The talks were co-chaired by Maldives Foreign Secretary Fathimath Inaya and Australia's First Assistant Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Sarah Storey.

Officials said the planned partnership reflects the growing momentum in relations between the two countries over the past year.

Recent developments include Australia's donation of the Guardian-class patrol vessel, commissioned in the Maldives as CGS Imaduddin, and the launch of direct flights between Malé and Melbourne in May.

Defense and maritime cooperation featured prominently during the discussions.

Both sides explored opportunities to strengthen collaboration in maritime domain awareness, aviation and port security, cybersecurity, law enforcement, and efforts to counter violent extremism.

Maldives also welcomed Australia's continued assistance in enhancing the country's maritime capabilities to improve security and resilience in the Indian Ocean.

The two countries also discussed expanding economic cooperation through greater trade, investment, tourism, and measures to strengthen fiscal resilience.

Officials said the new direct air connection between Malé and Melbourne is expected to create more opportunities for business, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.

In addition, the talks covered cooperation in education, vocational and teacher training, healthcare, medicines regulation, governance, democracy, human rights, environmental protection, climate resilience, emergency response, and women's empowerment.

Maldivian officials also acknowledged Australia's continued support through the Australia Awards Scholarships and other capacity-building initiatives.

Both governments reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining regular dialogue and strengthening cooperation on regional and international issues, including climate change, sustainable development, and matters affecting Small Island Developing States, while promoting peace and stability across the Indian Ocean and the wider Indo-Pacific region.