The High Commission of Maldives in Sri Lanka is the first ever diplomatic mission of Maldives that was established in Colombo, Sri Lanka and it was opened in July 1965.
Even before the establishment of this Diplomatic Mission in Colombo, the Maldivian Government had representation in Sri Lanka, as the Maldives Representative Office, which was opened in Colombo on 4 March 1934. The First Maldivian Representative to Sri Lanka was His Excellency Mr. Abdul Hameed Didi who was appointed on 4 March 1934, followed by H. E. Mr. Hussain Hilmy Didi on 25 March 1943. H. E. Mr. Hassan Fareed Didi served from 26 March 1943 to 31 March 1944, H. E. Mr. Ibrahim Ali Didi from 04 November 1945 to 31 December 1951 and H. E. Mr. Mohamed Amin Didi from 5 September 1950
The Maldives Representative Office was then upgraded to an Embassy in the year 1954, by appointing H. E. Mr. Mohamed Zaki as the first Ambassador of Maldives to Sri Lanka. He served from 11 March 1954 to 07 May 1955, followed by H. E. Mr. Ahmed Hilmy Didi who served as Acting Representative from 31 Dec 1951 to 31 Dec 1952, as Representative from 31 Dec 1952 to 01 September 1953. Then H.E. Mr. Ahmed Zaki served as Representative from 26 March 1956 to 14 April 1959, followed by H.E. Mr. Abdul Sattar Moosa Didi as Representative from 18 August 1960 to 11 September 1967. Then again, H.E. Mr. Ahmed Hilmy Didi served as Ambassador from 11 September 1967 to 28 April 1971. H.E. Mr. Hussain Ali Didi served as Ambassador from 29 April 1971 to 20 March 1976.
The Embassy was closed down in 1976 and re-opened in 1979.
H.E. Mr. Ahmed Abdulla was appointed as the Counsellor on 11 November 1979, and served as Minister Counsellor from 29 April 1984 to 15 November 1986. During his tenure the Embassy was changed to a High Commission in the year 1985. H.E. Mr. Ahmed Abdulla served as the First High Commissioner of Maldives to Sri Lanka from 15 November 1986 to 11 November 1993.
H.E. Mr. Abdul Azeez Yoosuf served as Counsellor from 25 November 1993 to 27 February 1995, and as High Commissioner from 27 November 1995 to 09 October 2002. H.E. Mr. Abdul Azeez Yoosuf was the longest serving High Commissioner of Maldives in Sri Lanka.
H.E. Ms. Raashida Yoosuf was appointed on 09 October 2002 as the High Commissioner, followed by H.E. Dr. Mohamed Asim as the High Commissioner from December 2004 to December 2007. H.E. Mr. Ali Hussain Didi served as the High Commissioner from January 2008 to December 2010 followed by H.E. Mr. Hussain Shihab served as the High Commissioner from December 2010 to March 2014.
Her Excellency Zahiya Zareer was appointed by President His Excellency Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom on 19th May 2014 and served until 13 August 2017.
The High Commission of Maldives in Sri Lanka is the official channel established to communicate between the two Governments and work towards consolidating and strengthening the existing long-standing bilateral relations between the two countries. Since the establishment of the High Commission, the Maldivian Government has been working closely with the Sri Lankan Government to establish and foster the long standing brotherly relationships that had existed for generations. Apart from the Government to Government interactions, the High Commission had established close relations with other key Sri Lankan organizations, to work towards achieving sustainable benefits to the Maldives, socially and economically.
A key example to this effort was the opening of the first show room for Maldivian Products, on 21 July 1952, by then Minister for Trade and Commerce of the Ceylon Government, Hon. Mr. H.W. Amarasuriya.
The High Commission has been providing various consular services and assistance to the Maldivians residing in Sri Lanka, since its establishment. Sri Lanka is considered to be the second home for hundreds of Maldivians. Maldivians reside in Sri Lanka, mainly for educational and medical purposes. In addition, there are Maldivian businessmen and quite a number of visitors travelling to Sri Lanka for leisure purposes.
Consular Services provided for Maldivians by the High Commission include, renewing and processing of passports, issuing temporary travel documents, issuing documents to facilitate resident visa and visit visa extension and assisting Maldivian nationals and Government officials in obtaining visas to other foreign countries that have diplomatic missions in Sri Lanka. It is also in the mandate of High Commission to provide assistance in processing and renewing national identity card, attestation, births, deaths and marriage registration to Maldivians.
There are twenty five Foreign Diplomatic Missions accredited to the Maldives in Sri Lanka. The High Commission also acts as an intermediary and a catalyst to promote the bilateral cooperation between their respective countries and the Maldives.
The High Commission also plays an important role to strengthen and enhance mutually beneficial defence relations between the Maldives and Sri Lanka, through working closely with the Sri Lankan Defense counterparts and other Defence Advisors of Diplomatic Missions present in Colombo.
2024 marks the 59th Anniversary of establishment of Bilateral Relations between Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
