Relations between India and Maldives are continuously deteriorating.
Comments of Maldivian ministers came to light after PM Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep, after which three were suspended.
At the same time, now Maldives President Mohammad Muizzu has shown his attitude and has asked the Indian Army to withdraw from Maldives by March 15.
Amid deteriorating relations between the two countries, local media reported on Sunday that officials of the Indian High Commission in Maldives have met officials of the Maldives Foreign Ministry in Male.
According to local newspaper SunOnline International, Maldives and India have started official talks regarding the withdrawal of Indian military personnel deployed in Maldives.
However, the Ministry of External Affairs has not yet issued any statement on the alleged meeting.
The newspaper quoted Ibrahim Khalil, Minister of the Presidential Strategic Communications Office, as saying that the meeting was part of the high-level core group that Maldives and India had agreed to set up during the meeting between Maldivian President Mohammed Muizzu and Indian Prime Minister Modi.
According to SunOnline International, the talks began at the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Male. Khalil said the group is discussing the withdrawal of Indian military personnel and expediting India-backed development projects in the Maldives.
The main campaign of Muizzu’s party was to remove Indian troops from Maldives. Currently, around 70 Indian troops are deployed in Maldives along with Dornier 228 maritime patrol aircraft and two HAL Dhruv helicopters.
On the second day of assuming office, Muizzu officially requested the Indian government to withdraw its military personnel from Maldives.
In December last year, President Muizzu had claimed that after talks with the Indian government, an agreement had been reached on the withdrawal of Indian military personnel.
At the same time, a day earlier, Maldivian President Muizzu said that Maldives cannot be threatened despite its small size.
Although Muizzu did not take the name of India, it is believed that due to the tension that has existed between the two countries in the past, he was pointing towards India.
President Muizzu has also completed a five-day visit to China during the tension between India and Maldives. During this period, 20 important agreements have been signed between the two countries including tourism.
During his visit to China, Muizzu also met Chinese President Xi Jinping.
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