Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom met with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday.

President Maumoon is currently in Sri Lanka on a personal visit, and was accompanied by his son Faris Maumoon on his trip.

Gayoom met with Wickremesinghe at the Sri Lankan President’s Office, where the two spoke about the bilateral ties between the two countries.

The two spoke about ways of improving the longstanding cooperation. He also thanked the Sri Lankan government for the strong and close bond the country maintained with the Maldives during his presidency, reported Maldivian media.

At the meeting, Wickremesinghe thanked the Maldives government for its continued support during its economic crisis which began in 2021.

The former Maldives president was conferred the ‘Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana’ in 2008, which is the highest Sri Lankan honour given to non-citizens and is especially reserved for heads of state and heads of government with whom Sri Lanka maintains friendly relations.