|| Maldivian President Dr Mohamed Muizzu today hosted an evening tea in honour of Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman, who is visiting the Maldives as a special guest for the country's 61st Independence Day celebrations.President Muizzu hosted the reception as Dr Khalilur arrived in the Maldives today on an official visit aimed at further strengthening the longstanding bilateral relations and exploring new avenues of cooperation between the two countries.The Foreign Minister is visiting the Maldives from July 25 to 27 as a special guest of the Maldivian government to attend the celebrations marking the 61st anniversary of the country's independence.Dr Khalilur was received upon arrival by Maldivian Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Describing the visit as a "significant milestone" in further strengthening the longstanding and cordial relations between Bangladesh and the Maldives, the Maldivian Foreign Ministry said it was expected to pave the way for deeper engagement between the two countries."The visit sets the stage for enhanced cooperation in the years ahead," he said.During the visit, the Foreign Minister is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on President Muizzu and hold a bilateral meeting with his Maldivian counterpart Iruthisham Adam.The talks are expected to focus on further strengthening the Bangladesh-Maldives partnership, reviewing the broad spectrum of existing bilateral cooperation and exploring new opportunities for collaboration in areas of mutual interest.The two sides are also expected to exchange views on regional and international developments and reaffirm their commitment to continued cooperation in regional and multilateral forums.Bangladesh and the Maldives maintain close relations encompassing trade, employment, tourism, education, health and people-to-people contacts, while a sizeable Bangladeshi expatriate community contributes to the Maldivian economy.This is Dr Khalilur's first official visit to the Maldives since assuming office as Bangladesh's Foreign Minister on February 17 this year.Dr Khalilur arrived in the Maldives via Doha from Manila, the Philippines, a senior official told BSS.