Male: Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed on Sunday departed for an official visit to Turkey, Maldives President's Office said in a statement.

During his visit, Mohamed Muizzu is scheduled to hold a meeting with Turkey's senior government officials to explore potential areas for mutual collaboration and enhance the diplomatic ties between the two nations. For their visit to Turkey, the Maldives President and First Lady are accompanied by a high-level delegation, according to the Maldives President's Office statement.

Muizzu and Sajidha Mohamed are travelling to Turkey at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to the statement. After his visit to Turkey, Muizzu will head to the United Arab Emirates to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference - COP 28 set to be held on November 30. After concluding his visit to Turkey and UAE, Mohamed Muizzu will return to Maldives.

In the statement, the Maldives President's Office said, "The President will arrive in the Maldives after attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference- COP28, to be held in the United Arab Emirates on November 30, 2023."

Notably, diplomatic relations between Turkey and Maldives were established in 1979, according to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Turkey and Maldives are two friendly nations in close cooperation at several international platforms, the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in particular.