The Maldives and India formed a joint high-level group to discuss the withdrawal of Indian troops.
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu called on the Indian government to withdraw its troops from the islands by March 15. This was reported by The Telegraph on Sunday, January 14.
The announcement came as both sides discussed finding a mutual solution to ensure the Indian military continues to operate in the island nation.
The two sides decided to form a group on the issue following a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the President of the Maldives on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai last month.
On 17 November 2023, Muizzu was sworn in as the new President of the Maldives. A day after taking office, he called for the withdrawal of the Indian military from the Maldives.
“We may be small, but that doesn’t give you (India – ed.) the right to bully us,” he said.
Muizzu also announced plans to reduce the country’s dependence on India, including importing essential food products, medicines and consumables from other countries.
The number of Indian troops in the Maldives is unknown. The agreement between India and the government of the former president of Maldives was secret. The Indian military is known to fly two helicopters and help search and rescue people stranded or in distress at sea.
It will be remembered that in 2022, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country amid widespread protests due to the economic crisis.
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.