The Maldives & European Union Sign Financing Agreement

On Wednesday, the Maldives and the European Union signed a financing agreement which marks a new flagship initiative to strengthen the rule of law and anti-corruption in the Maldives. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 4^th Maldives-EU Senior Official Meeting held in Brussels, Belgium.

The five-year programme will be supported by the European Union for a total amount of EUR 5 million (MVR 83 million) and will be implemented in close collaboration with all relevant parties from the justice and anti-corruption sectors. The programme was formulated based on the Maldives’ priority needs and reforms and will build upon and complement the achievements and objectives of previous EU initiatives targeting the area.

The financing agreement was signed between the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Khaleel on behalf of the Government of Maldives and the Director for Asia, Middle East and the Pacific, Directorate General for International Partnerships, Mr. Peteris Ustubs for the European Union.

The two main objectives of the ‘Strengthening the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption’ programme are:
1. Supporting the country in developing an effective, accountable and inclusive justice system
2. Strengthening anti-corruption efforts through better legal frameworks, institutional capacity building and improving public perception