Maldivian President Mohammed Muizzu on Sunday asked India to withdraw all Indian military personnel deployed in Maldives by March 15.
India has reacted to this. New Delhi has said that both sides will discuss the matter further.
Muizzu made this demand when the first meeting of the high-level core group formed by both the countries to resolve the issue was held in Male.
“Muizzoo asked the Maldivian delegation attending the meeting to inform the Indian authorities that the troops should be withdrawn by mid-March,” Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, Principal Secretary to the President of Maldives, said at a media briefing in Male. “
Ibrahim was quoted as saying that this is the 12th meeting to discuss the withdrawal of Indian troops and the talks are evidence of the government’s willingness to proceed with the withdrawal of Indian troops in a civilized and diplomatic manner without jeopardizing relations between the two countries. Is.
He said, “Indian military personnel cannot stay in Maldives. This is the policy of President Mohammad Muizzu and this administration.”
A statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs said the two sides discussed ways to find mutually practical solutions to enable continued operations of Indian aviation platforms providing humanitarian and medical evacuation services to the people of Maldives.
There are around 77 Indian military personnel operating two helicopters and one aircraft in the Maldives, which have carried out hundreds of medical evacuations and humanitarian flights.
The statement said the two sides also discussed issues related to bilateral cooperation to identify steps to enhance the partnership, including accelerating the implementation of ongoing development cooperation projects.
It said both sides agreed to hold the next meeting of the High Level Core Group in India at a mutually convenient date.
The group’s meeting was held against the backdrop of a dramatic deterioration in bilateral relations since Muizzu’s election victory last year.
After returning from a trip to China, Muizzoo announced a series of steps apparently aimed at reducing Maldives’ dependence on India in key sectors such as healthcare and food security.
Apart from Indian High Commissioner Munu Mahawar, other diplomats and military attaches of the Indian mission participated in the meeting held in Male.
The Maldivian side was represented by Chief of Staff of the President’s Office Abdulla Faiyaz, Chief of Defense Forces Major General Abdul Rahim Latif, Ambassador-at-Large in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ali Naseer Mohammed and Maldives’ Ambassador to India Ibrahim Sahib.
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