On October 25, at the third meeting of senior officials of the Maldives and EU held in Male, Maldives, the Maldives authorities once again made a request to the EU to cancel the Schengen visa obligations for citizens of the country in the near future. According to a press release issued by the Maldives Ministry of Foreign Affairs after the meeting, Maldives officials attending the meeting have made demands to EU officials to remind them of the importance of strengthening bilateral relations. The Maldives recalled the importance of strengthening the cultural ties between the two countries and reiterated the requirements for Maldives' nationals to travel to EU member states without visa.
Throughout the meeting, EU officials present expressed appreciation for the Maldives Government's commitment to consolidate democratic governance, strengthening the rule of law and combating corruption, promoting and protecting human rights, and implementing judicial sector reform. They also reiterated their support for the efforts of the Maldives and the importance of implementing these reforms in full. Like most citizens of the world, Maldives nationals need a Schengen visa to qualify for access to the European Schengen borderless region, which consists of 26 countries, including Germany, France, Spain and Portugal, some of the most popular destinations for Maldives passport holders. For more than 0 years, authorities in the island country have been calling on EU officials to initiate the process of visa liberalization for Maldives citizens. On Monday, October 24, the country's foreign minister, Abdullah Shahid, met with Paola Pampaloni, managing director of the European Union's Foreign Action Service (EEAS). Minister Shahid expressed his gratitude to the EU for its continued support for the Maldives, especially in the country's economic recovery efforts, and he also reiterated to Director Pampaloni that the Maldives are interested in joining the list of countries whose citizens can travel visas - free entry to Schengen District .
also attended the meeting. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Khalil, as well as bilateral secretary Dr. Hara Hamid and Joint Secretary Shinien Rashid. According to the 2022 Henry Passport Index ranking, Maldives passports offer its holders the possibility to travel to 89 destinations in the world without prior visa, making it the most powerful passport in South Asia.
