On 25 March 2016, H.E. Mr. Mohamed Saeed, Minister of Economic Development of Maldives, paid a courtesy call on H.E. Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand. The ministers discussed several issues of mutual interest, namely trade and investment, fishery, tourism, technical cooperation, and climate change.

Both sides agreed to enhance bilateral economic cooperation. Thailand would encourage more investment in Maldives by the Thai private sector in the areas of food industry and processing, machinery, construction materials, and infrastructure. The Maldivian Government allowed foreign investors to hold 100 percent ownership of businesses.  Maldives encouraged Thailand to invest in its Special Economic Zones as the country located at the connecting point between the East and the West sides of Indian Ocean. Maldives is also a significant gateway to the South Asian market, particularly SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) nations, which also included India. Thailand wished to cooperate with Maldives to develop her tourism industry and invest in related service industries.

With regards to following up the outcomes of the meeting between the Prime Minister of Thailand and H.E. Mr. Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, President of the Maldives, during his visit to Thailand in January 2016, the Thai side was ready to initiate the agreement on visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and official passports with the Maldives. Thailand supported joint fishing between the Thai and the Maldivian fisheries operators and cooperation in the seafood processing industry.

In line with Thailand’s capacity as the Chair of G77 and her active role in environmental issues in various international fora including COP 21, Thailand supported the Small Island Developing States, including Maldives, in tackling climate change problem. Thailand was delighted to share her knowledge
and best practices concerning Sufficiency Economy Philosophy with Maldives, and was committed to cooperating with Maldives to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

On this occasion, the two sides also discussed their cooperation in the multilateral framework,
both at the regional level and at the United Nations.