President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has asked the Indian military troops in the Maldivian territory to be withdrawn by 15 March 2024.
During a presser held at the President's Office on Sunday, Principal Secretary for Public Policy, Abdullah Nazim Ibrahim announced that Indian military personnel will no longer be allowed in the Maldives and that they have been requested to withdraw by March 15, 2024.
Noting that a total of 11 meetings have been held to discuss this matter, Nazim stated that a 12th meeting would be held on Sunday.
The India-Maldives High Level Core Group — set up when the Maldivian President and Prime Minister Narendra Modi met on the sidelines of the UN climate summit in Dubai — held its first meeting, on Sunday.
After the meeting, statements were issued by the Ministry of External Affairs of India and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives.
The statement issued by the Indian External Affairs Ministry read that officials of both the countries engaged in conversations about identifying mutually feasible solutions to facilitate the continuous functioning of Indian aviation platforms that offer humanitarian aid and medical evacuation services to the people of the Maldives. The statement made no mention of a request for Indian troops’ withdrawal.
However, the press statement issued by the Maldives’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that both sides expressed willingness to intensify cooperation and agreed to fast-track the withdrawal of Indian military personnel.
Even though both statements referenced a review of bilateral cooperation, they also revealed a stark difference in their messaging.
After his meeting with the Indian Prime Minister Modi, during the sidelines of the UN climate summit in December 2023, President Muizzu announced that India had “agreed” to withdraw its troops from the Maldives. However, India has made no statement to that effect so far.
The Maldivian administration's announcement comes at a time where the Maldives-India relations has been strained. This was triggered by the remarks of three deputy ministers of the government who criticized the Indian Prime Minister and Indians.
It also coincides with President Muizzu's five-day state visit to China, where he agreed to “elevate” strategic ties with China. After concluding his trip to China and returning to Maldives, the Maldivian President, during a presser, stated that the Maldives may be small, but “will not be bullied” by anyone.
The withdrawal of Indian troops from Maldives under various military agreements is one of President Muizzu’s presidential pledges.
