Maldives, Belarus Sign Visa Waiver Agreement

The Maldives and Belarus have signed a mutual visa exemption agreement aimed at facilitating travel and strengthening people-to-people ties between the two countries.

The agreement was signed today on the sidelines of the High-Level Week of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York by Maldives Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam and Belarus Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov.

Under the agreement, nationals of the Maldives and Belarus will be exempt from visa requirements for travel between the two countries. It allows single-entry stays of up to 30 days, while multiple-entry travel is permitted for a cumulative period of up to 90 days within a calendar year.

The agreement is expected to make travel between the Maldives and Belarus more convenient and create greater opportunities for tourism, business, cultural exchanges and other forms of people-to-people engagement.

Following the signing, Minister Iruthisham thanked the Belarusian government for its commitment to strengthening the existing friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

She expressed hope that the visa waiver agreement would open additional avenues for engagement and increase contact between the people of the Maldives and Belarus.

The signing comes as the Maldives continues to expand its bilateral relations with countries beyond its traditional partners and pursue greater international engagement through diplomatic and economic cooperation.

The Maldives and Belarus have maintained diplomatic relations and cooperate through bilateral and multilateral platforms, including the United Nations. The new agreement provides a framework for facilitating travel between the two countries and could support broader engagement in the years ahead.