Italy recognized the Maldives in 1966, and our country has always enjoyed great sympathy and a very positive image in the archipelago: it was Italian entrepreneurs, in fact, who discovered, in the late 1970s, the Maldives’ tourist vocation, and even today several Maldivian resorts are Italian-owned or managed. The Maldives also hosts a significant flow of Italian tourists annually.
At the bilateral level, there has recently been a deepening interest in developing closer collaboration in the health field-with the possible launch of cooperation between the respective Ministries of Health-as well as climate. The Maldives is one of the countries most at risk in the context of the consequences of climate change, and Italy has a presence in the archipelago with an innovative research center in marine biology (focus on coral reef conservation) run by the Bicocca University of Milan on the island of Magodhoo.