Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has approved a draft agreement that would introduce mutual visa-free travel between Belarus and the Maldives, paving the way for negotiations to finalise the arrangement.
According to the Belarusian presidential office, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been authorised to negotiate with the Maldivian government and conclude the agreement.
Under the proposed arrangement, Maldivian and Belarusian citizens would be allowed to enter, leave and transit through each other’s countries without obtaining a visa. Travellers would be permitted to stay for up to 30 days per visit, with total visa-free stays limited to 90 days within a calendar year.
The move follows growing diplomatic engagement between Malé and Minsk. On February 3, senior officials from the Maldivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs travelled to Minsk for the first official meeting of its kind with Belarusian First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Lukashevich.
The discussions focused on expanding cooperation in tourism, healthcare and education, as well as trade involving food products and machinery. Both sides also discussed strengthening economic relations and developing the legal framework governing bilateral cooperation.
Belarus has long been an education destination for Maldivian students, particularly those pursuing medical studies.
The proposed visa-free agreement could further strengthen people-to-people links while opening new opportunities for tourism, education, business and broader bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
