Amid the ongoing diplomatic tensions between India and the Maldives, local media reported that officials from the Indian High Commission in the Maldives arrived at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Male, where held discussions on the developments that rocked the relations between the two nations.
According to multiple Maldivian media including the Dhauru Maldives Media reported that officials discussed the presence of Indian military personnel in the country and asked New Delhi to withdraw its troops by March 15.
Abdulla Nazim, the Policy Director of the Maldives President’s Office, told reporters that President Muizzu had proposed to withdraw Indian troops from the Maldives.
“During the meeting, the President proposed the removal of Indian troops before March 15. The government, the President’s Office and the President have proposed this date for the agenda of the meeting. Those discussions are now underway,” Adhadhu newspaper quoted Nazim as saying at the press conference.
Muizzu, who is seen as pro-China, campaigned on a promise to evict Indian military personnel and balance trade, which he said was heavily in favour of India under his predecessor, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. Notably, India has about 75 personnel in Maldives.
“The President noted that at the Presidential Election held in September, the Maldivian people had given him a strong mandate to make the request to India and expressed the hope that India will honour the democratic will of the people of the Maldives,” read the statement released earlier last year.
Notably, the meeting came just a day after pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu returned from Beijing after concluding “successful” meetings with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
According to the joint communique released by both nations, leaders agreed to expand cooperation and signed at least 20 agreements. Soon after landing at Male airport, Muizzu, in an apparent comment on the ongoing row, said that his country may be small but “doesn’t give them the license to bully us”.
