President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and First Lady Fazna Ahmed have departed on an official two-day trip to Sri Lanka.
Their visit to Sri Lanka is to officiate the opening ceremony of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa Trophy 2021 football tournament, participated by national football teams from the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Seychelles. The Maldives and Sri Lanka will play against each other at the opening match of the tournament.
Furthermore, President Solih is scheduled to hold official talks with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa during his visit. President Solih and First Lady Fazna will return to the Maldives on November 9.
President Solih has made several official and unofficial trips to neighbouring Sri Lanka since his inauguration. His first state visit was in February 2019, following an invitation from then-President Maithripala Sirisena to attend Sri Lanka's Independence Day celebration as a guest of honour.
He also made an unofficial visit to Sri Lanka in July, during which he discussed steps to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.