Maldives and United States review areas of mutual interest as envoy visits Male'

Foreign Minister Abdullah Khaleel met on Monday with U.S. Special Representative for South and Central Asia, Ambassador Sergio Gor, who is currently on an official visit to the Maldives.

Ambassador Gor began his visit to the Maldives and Sri Lanka last Thursday. According to the U.S. State Department, his trip coincides with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Maldives and the United States. The two countries established formal ties in 1966 and have since expanded cooperation in areas including education, security and environmental resilience.

The Foreign Ministry said Minister Khaleel and Ambassador Gor discussed Maldives–U.S. bilateral relations and areas of mutual interest, though no further details were disclosed.

The U.S. envoy is scheduled to meet senior leaders in both countries to explore opportunities for enhanced cooperation, particularly in the security and economic sectors.

Questions were raised at a press conference on Monday regarding the timing of the visit, given heightened tensions in the Middle East. Responding to reporters, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu said the government would continue to engage with representatives of all countries except Israel, and that the Maldives would not allow its territory, airspace or waters to be used for any military purpose.

The President added that while global conflicts may arise in discussions with visiting delegations, the Maldives maintains a consistent position of non‑involvement and non‑alignment in foreign military operations.