The government has confirmed that there are 77 military personnel from neighboring India, present in the Maldives currently.

This was revealed by Under Secretary for Public Policy at the President's Office Mohamed Firzul Abdulla Khaleel, on Sunday.

As such, speaking at a press conference held at the President’s Office, Firzul revealed that 77 Indian military personnel are currently stationed across the Maldives.

He emphasized on the specific roles of the Indian military personnel in the Maldives.

As such, it was revealed that 24 officers are engaged in helicopter operations, 25 are involved in the operations of a Dornier aircraft, 26 are assigned operate a second helicopter and two more officers are responsible for the maintenance and engineering work of these aircraft.

Shedding light on the commitment of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu to address the public’s concerns regarding the presence of foreign military forces across the Maldives, Firzul noted that the administration will withdraw any decisions undermining the sovereignty of the island nation, made by previous administrations.

He also disclosed the discovery of more than 100 bilateral agreements within the past five years, which are currently under inspection.

Firzul highlighted key decisions made during the first cabinet meeting of the new administration.

The Under Secretary for Public Policy further touched upon the formation of three Cabinet Councils; the Social Council, the Economic Council, and the Visitor Economic Council as major initiatives.

He also noted the adoption of the "Hafthaa 14" roadmap as a major initiative.

The Social Council will be presided over by Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef.

The Economic Council will be led by Minister of Economic Development and Trade Mohamed Saeed and the Visitor Economic Council will be chaired by President Muizzu.

The Visitor Economic Council’s establishment mirror’s the president’s commitment to expand tourism which is the Maldivian economy’s backbone.

The Visitor Economic Council is mandated to include promoting and diversifying the tourism sector.