Sri Lanka Removes Maldives from Security Concern List
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (R) shaking hands with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Abdulla Khaleel, on July 30, 2025, prior to the Sri Lankan president’s departure from the Maldives | Photo: President’s Office
Sri Lanka has officially removed the Maldives from its “Country of Security Concern” list.
According to Sri Lanka Guardian, this is a move that reflects improving bilateral relations between the two nations.
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Under the previous designation, imposed on the Maldives following the Easter Sunday Attack in 2019, travel and diplomatic exchanges between the nations may have been affected. Sri Lanka’s decision to delist the Maldives marks a significant development in relations between the neighbouring countries.
The delisting is expected to facilitate smoother people-to-people travel and bolster cooperation across security, tourism, and trade sectors. It follows Sri Lanka’s announcement earlier this year, granting Maldivian citizens 90-day on-arrival visas, reciprocated by a similar offer for Sri Lankans visiting the Maldives .
While neither government has yet issued an official statement on the change, analysts view the move as a positive indicator of strengthened ties and regional goodwill.
