President Dr Mohamed Muizzu will be departing on an official visit to Estonia on the invitation of his Estonian counterpart, Dr Alar Karis, the President’s Office has said.
The President’s Office said President Muizzu will visit the northern European nation from 13-16 January.
This is the first official visit to Estonia by a sitting President of the Maldives, and will focus on enhancing bilateral cooperation, and explore opportunities for partnership, it added.
“Discussions will focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation and identify potential areas of collaboration including digital, cyber and e-governance fields, on climate and environmental issues and in science and education between the Maldives and Estonia.”
During the visit, President Dr Muizzu will be meeting with President Dr Karis, President of the Estonian Parliament ‘Riigikogu’ Lauri Hussar, and various Ministers, including Education, Climate, Health, Justice and Digital Affairs and Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The President will also visit the Estonian city of Tartu, housing the University of Tartu, which belongs to the top 1 percent of the world’s most-cited universities and scientific institutions in Clinical Medicine. The President will visit the University, its university’s research and developments and the Estonian Genome Database Centre, as well as the Greenergy Data Centre.
The meetings and discussions will focus on innovations and technological advancements Estonia has made. The President will also participate in a round table organised by the Digital Advisory Council to the President of Estonia, which will provide an avenue to explore further cooperation between the two countries.
Estonia’s digital transformation journey is commended globally, ranked among the top in the world for digital public sector and services. Estonia is a global leader in digital governance and e-services, renowned for its pioneering e-Residency program, advanced e-governance platforms, and seamless integration of digital solutions into public services.
Digital transformation is a key priority of President Dr Muizzu. The President has pledged to establish a digital economy, aiming for it to contribute up to 15 percent of the Maldives' GDP by 2030. This initiative is a key component of the President’s broader vision to transform the Maldives into a developed nation by 2040.
The Government is working to develop a Digital Transformation Roadmap and Strategy that will provide a blueprint for the digital transformation. The Government is also working on an assessment for AI Readiness led by UNESCO and its AI Readiness assessment tools, and working on its National AI Masterplan.
During this visit, the President will be accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Abdulla Khaleel, Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusaan, and a senior government delegation.
A private delegation consisting of leaders in local tech community will also accompany the President and have engagements with Estonian companies and institutes that work in the digital sphere.