Pres. Muizzu reverses stance on military deal transparency, agrees military deals cannot be disclosed

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has stated that although he had previously said he would disclose agreements signed by the Maldives with other countries, these agreements can only be disclosed with the consent of the countries involved.

During the 2023 presidential election, as the opposition candidate at the time, one of the main topics President Muizzu spoke about was the agreements signed between the Maldives and India.

President Muizzu, who was also a prominent figure on the forefront of the "India Out" campaign, had said at the time that upon entering the government, he would disclose these agreements and that he would not keep anything secret from the Maldivian people.

However, speaking at a press conference held at the President's Office on Saturday, President Muizzu said that these agreements contain "confidentiality clauses".

President Muizzu said that as of today, there is no opportunity to disclose the agreements without the consent of the countries that have signed them. He also mentioned that there are legal issues involved in doing so.

Further, the president went on to reveal that bilateral discussions related to the matter are ongoing.