Following his inauguration as president of the Maldives on Friday, Mohamed Muizzu called on New Delhi to “honor the democratic will of the people” of his nation.
On Saturday, the Maldives announced that they had requested India to withdraw its armed forces from the island nation.
The proposal was made by Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu during a meeting with India’s Minister of Earth Sciences, Kiren Rijiju, on Saturday in Malé, the country’s capital.
In his message to the Indian minister, the president of the Maldives expressed his hope that New Delhi would “honor the democratic will of the people” of the Archipelago.
On Friday, Muizzu took the oath of office as president of the Maldives. India was represented during the occasion by Rijiju.
The president of the Maldives declared shortly after entering office that his nation will not employ any foreign soldiers, according to AFP.
In September, Muizzu, who is seen as having a positive attitude toward China, was elected president. Following the election, Muizzu declared in October that he had had “very successful” talks with the Indian government over the removal of its military personnel from the nation.
Muizzu stated to AFP last week that he has no intention of upending the existing quo in the region by substituting Chinese troops for Indian ones.
According to the Maldivian defence forces, there were 75 Indian military personnel stationed in the country in 2021. Their job was to maintain and operate the aircraft that New Delhi had given to the island nation.
The only other nation has a military base in the Maldives is India.
The Maldives’ request for the withdrawal of Indian troops has not yet received a response from India’s Ministry of External Affairs. Arindam Bagchi, the ministry’s spokesperson, did, however, state last month that New Delhi is eager to discuss “all issues” with the newly elected Maldives government.
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Official sources have now said that the two nations have decided to discuss “workable solutions” to ensure that the island nation of the Maldives continues to use Indian military platforms after a meeting between Union minister Kiren Rijiju and recently elected Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu in Male on Saturday, as reported by news agency PTI.
A day after attending the inauguration ceremony of the Maldivian leader, Rijiju paid Muizzu a visit at his workplace. Many people view Muizzu as a pro-China politician who, should he win election, would guarantee the withdrawal of Indian forces and uphold geopolitical neutrality.
According to sources within the Indian administration, Muizzu raised during the discussion the matter of Indian military soldiers stationed in the Maldives who fly planes for medical evacuation and to combat drug trafficking. According to the reports, the President also praised the assistance provided by Indian aircraft and helicopters in providing medical evacuation for Maldivian nationals.
They are also essential to the trust that foreign visitors have in their ability to stay on isolated islands. According to a source, he valued their assistance in keeping an eye on and stopping narcotics trafficking.
As this serves the interests of the Maldivian people, it was decided that the two governments will talk about practical ways to continue their cooperation through the use of these platforms.
One of India’s principal maritime neighbors in the Indian Ocean region is the Maldives, and during Ibrahim Solih’s administration, bilateral relations generally, particularly those pertaining to security and defense, have been improving.
Interestingly, a 36-year-old lady was medically evacuated on Saturday using a Dornier aircraft that India had donated to the Maldives. The Maldives National Defense Force is in charge of the aircraft (MNDF).
