The Maldives and Australia have agreed to work towards elevating their longstanding bilateral relationship into a formal partnership following the successful conclusion of the Third Maldives–Australia Senior Officials' Talks held in Malé.
The talks took place on 28 July 2026 and were co-chaired by the Maldives' Foreign Secretary Fathimath Inaya and Australia's First Assistant Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Sarah Storey. Senior officials from relevant ministries and government agencies of both countries also participated in the discussions.
Both sides reviewed the positive momentum in bilateral relations over the past year and reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation through regular dialogue and practical initiatives in areas of mutual interest.
Officials highlighted several recent milestones in the relationship, including the commissioning of the Australian-donated Guardian-class Patrol Boat, CGS Imaduddin, on 27 July 2026 and the launch of direct flights between Malé and Melbourne in May this year.
A significant focus of the talks was strengthening collaboration in defence, security and maritime affairs. Discussions covered enhancing cooperation in maritime domain awareness, aviation and port security, cybersecurity, countering violent extremism and law enforcement.
The Maldives welcomed Australia's continued support in strengthening the country's maritime capabilities and resilience, recognising its contribution to maintaining peace and security across the Indian Ocean.
The two countries also explored ways to expand economic cooperation, including promoting bilateral trade, investment, fiscal resilience and tourism. Both sides agreed that the new direct air link between Malé and Melbourne would further boost tourism, create new business opportunities and strengthen people-to-people exchanges.
Beyond economic and security cooperation, the talks identified several areas for deeper collaboration, including human resource development, education, vocational and teacher training, governance, democracy, human rights, the rule of law, environmental protection, climate resilience, emergency response, healthcare, medicines regulation and women's empowerment.
The Maldives expressed appreciation for Australia's longstanding support towards the country's human development, particularly through the Australia Awards Scholarships and other capacity-building programmes.
The two delegations also exchanged views on regional and international developments, reaffirming their shared commitment to promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean and the wider Indo-Pacific region.
They further agreed to strengthen cooperation in multilateral forums, particularly on issues relating to climate change, sustainable development and the interests of Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Concluding the talks, both governments expressed satisfaction with the productive outcome of the meeting and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the enduring Maldives–Australia partnership through closer cooperation, sustained dialogue and joint action across a broad range of sectors.
