Foreign relations of the Maldives

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This article is part of a series on the
Politics of the Maldives
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Executive President of the Maldives Mohamed Muizzu Vice President of the Maldives Hussain Mohamed Latheef Cabinet
Legislature People's Majlis Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim Parliament Members
Judiciary Chief Justice Ahmed Muthasim Adnan Supreme Court High Court
Elections National Elections Presidential elections 1952 1968 1973 1978 1983 1988 1993 1998 2003 2008 2013 2018 2023 Parliamentary Elections 1994 1999 2005 2009 2014 2019 2024 Referendums 2007 Referendum
Political parties Government Congress Party Progressive Party Others Democratic Party Jumhooree Party Adhaalath Party Maldives Third Way Democrats Maldives Reform Movement Maldives National Party Maldives Development Alliance The Democrats
Administrative divisions Administrative divisions of the Maldives Natural atolls Islands
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister Moosa Zameer Diplomatic missions of / in the Maldives Passport Visa requirements Visa policy Foreign aid India China Turkey United States United Arab Emirates Pakistan Sri Lanka Russia
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The Maldives has remained an independent nation throughout its recorded history, save for a brief spell of Portuguese occupation in the mid-16th century. From 1900 to 1965, the country was a British protectorate while retaining full internal sovereignty. At its independence in 1965, the Maldives joined the United Nations on 20 September.

Since 1978, the Maldives has followed a policy of international engagement, intensifying links with strategic partners and the international system. It joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1982. A founder member of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the Maldives is also a member of the Bretton Woods system. It is also party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as well as numerous conventions on the protection of the environment, the suppression of terrorism, disarmament and on the promotion and protection of human rights.

In its transition towards a liberal democracy, the Maldives has established dialogue and collaboration with international human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and acceded to numerous human rights instruments such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). During the same period, the country has also intensified links with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and joined the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

The Maldives retains diplomatic relations with 172 countries, with resident diplomatic missions in Abu Dhabi, Ankara, Beijing, Berlin, Brussels, Colombo, D.C., Dhaka, Geneva, Islamabad, Kuala Lumpur, London, New Delhi, New York, Riyadh, Singapore and Tokyo and non-resident accreditation in numerous other countries, including Bhutan and Nepal.

The country’s issues of interest include advancing national development, supporting international peace and security, including the protection of the environment and the promotion of human rights, and upholding the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.