During the visit, Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam paid courtesy calls on Parliament Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla and Minister of State for Tourism and Environment Abdulla Niyaz; held meetings with Deputy Foreign Minister for Regional Affairs Aminath Shabeena and Director General of the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority Hussain Jaleel; and met with Maldivian businesses interested in trade, tourism, and aviation opportunities with Vietnam.

At the meeting with Speaker Abdulla, Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam congratulated the Maldives on its recent achievements, highlighting the contributions of Parliament and Speaker Abdulla personally.

Speaker Abdulla congratulated Vietnam on its achievements over the past 80 years since independence, saying Vietnam has become a model of development for many countries in the region, including the Maldives.

He expressed satisfaction that the traditional friendship between the two countries has strengthened over 50 years; affirmed the Maldives values its relations with Vietnam; and noted that the Maldivian Parliament has established a Maldives–Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group with 42 members to boost bilateral ties, especially through the parliamentary channel.

He also expressed readiness to visit Vietnam at a mutually convenient time; agreed there are ample opportunities for cooperation in tourism, trade, investment, and seafood processing; and proposed that Vietnam facilitate visa exemption or visa-on-arrival for all Maldivian passports on a reciprocal basis.

Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam stated that although two-way trade remains modest, it holds significant potential given high demand from Maldivian resorts for imports from Vietnam, particularly fresh and frozen fruit, seafood, as well as agricultural produce, consumer goods, and construction materials.

In 2025, the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on air transport, providing a legal framework for planned direct flights in the near future. They also maintain cooperation and mutual support in multilateral mechanisms and forums, particularly within the United Nations.

At the meeting with Minister of State for Tourism and Environment Abdulla Niyaz, Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam welcomed the growing number of Maldivian tourists visiting Vietnam and noted that the Maldives is increasingly attractive for Vietnamese travelers.

Minister Niyaz emphasized the strong potential for tourism cooperation, suggesting Vietnam consider investing in resort development in the Maldives, strengthening vocational training and internships in tourism, and organizing promotional events such as food festivals and travel fairs.

He also called for sharing experiences in sustainable cultural heritage conservation linked to tourism, and proposed early negotiations on a tourism cooperation agreement. He further urged cooperation on environmental protection, particularly marine conservation and sea-level rise adaptation.

At the meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Aminath Shabeena, Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam conveyed a letter from President Luong Cuong inviting President Mohamed Muizzu to attend the UN Cybercrime Convention signing hosted by Vietnam in October 2025, underscoring the event’s significance.

Deputy Minister Shabeena conveyed greetings on Vietnam’s 80th National Day and the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties with the Maldives. She agreed the two Foreign Ministries should step up high-level exchanges, sign an MoU on cooperation, and activate a bilateral cooperation mechanism.

Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Authority Director General Hussain Jaleel welcomed the MoU on air transport, reaffirming commitment to launch direct flights linking Malé with major Vietnamese cities to enhance tourism and trade.

During the trip, Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam hosted a ceremony marking Vietnam’s 80th National Day (1945–2025) and the 50th anniversary of Vietnam–Sri Lanka diplomatic ties (1975–2025), attended by Deputy Foreign Minister Raheem Abdulla, ambassadors, consuls general and honorary consuls in Malé, Maldivian businesses, and Vietnamese community representatives.

Maldivian businesses proposed establishing a Maldives Business Association in Vietnam and a Maldives–Vietnam Friendship Association, as well as a Trade Promotion Center to ramp up cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. They suggested initiatives to expand cooperation in aviation, tourism, and trade, including exports of skipjack and yellowfin tuna (fresh or canned) to Vietnam, and premium air services for high-spending Vietnamese tourists.

The Vietnamese Embassy also organized a Mid-Autumn Festival gathering and presented gifts to members of the Vietnamese community in the Maldives, which currently numbers about 50.

Vietnam, Maldives deepen friendship, cooperation

Vietnam treasures the support and partnership of international friends, including the Maldives, during its cause of construction and development, affirmed Vietnamese Ambassador to Sri Lanka and concurrently to the Maldives Trinh Thi Tam.