Maldives asks India to withdraw military troops from island nation by March 15

Male: Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu has asked India to withdraw its military personnel from his country by March 15, a senior official here said on Sunday, nearly two months after Male sought their removal. According to the latest government figures, there are 88 Indian military personnel in the Maldives.

In a press briefing, Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, the public policy secretary at the President's Office, said that President Muizzu has formally asked India to withdraw its military personnel by March 15, the SunOnline newspaper reported. Indian military personnel cannot stay in the Maldives. This is the policy of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and that of this administration, he said. Maldives and India have set up a High-Level Core Group to negotiate the withdrawal of troops.

In a statement in New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs said that the first meeting of the India-Maldives High-Level Core Group was held in Male on Sunday. During the meeting, both sides held discussions on wide-ranging issues related to bilateral cooperation towards identifying steps to enhance the partnership, including expediting the implementation of ongoing development cooperation projects, it said.

Both sides also held discussions on finding mutually workable solutions to enable the continued operation of Indian aviation platforms that provide humanitarian services to the people of Maldives, the MEA statement said. It was agreed to hold the next meeting of the High-Level Core Group in India on a mutually convenient date, it added.

The meeting was also attended by Indian High Commissioner Munu Mahawar. Maldives Foreign Ministry said that during the meeting both sides reviewed the existing bilateral cooperation.

Discussions were held on a wide range of issues of mutual interest, including development cooperation. Both sides expressed willingness to intensify cooperation and agreed to fast-track the withdrawal of Indian military personnel, the statement said.

Soon after taking oath as the President of Maldives on November 17 last year, Muizzu, who is regarded as a pro-China leader, formally requested India to withdraw its military personnel from his country, saying the Maldivian people have given him a "strong mandate" to make this request to New Delhi.

The request for the withdrawal of Indian military personnel comes amid a diplomatic row between the two nations in the backdrop of derogatory comments posted by three deputy ministers of the Muizzu government against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Muizzu suspended the three ministers after their social media postings, which stirred concern in India and calls for a boycott by Indian tourists who ranked highest in numbers followed by Russia. Chinese tourists figured third.

During his just-concluded state visit to China, Muizzu sought to align Maldives closer to Beijing. Speaking to the press on Saturday after returning from China, President Muizzu indirectly attacked India. Without naming any country, he said, "We may be small, but that doesn't give you the license to bully us.

He also announced plans to reduce the country's dependency on India, including securing imports of essential food commodities and medicine and consumables from other countries. We aren't in anyone's backyard. We are an independent and sovereign state, he said, addressing the reporters gathered at the Velana International Airport. He said that no country has the right to exert influence over the domestic affairs of a country, regardless of its size. He vowed that he would not allow any external influence on the domestic affairs of the Maldives.

Male is also reviewing more than 100 bilateral agreements with New Delhi signed by the previous government here.