In a significant diplomatic development, India and the Maldives have agreed on a timeline for the withdrawal of Indian troops stationed in the Maldives. President Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives announced during his inaugural address at the commencement of the 19th Parliament that discussions with India have resulted in a plan to repatriate the initial contingent of Indian troops before March 10 of this year.
According to local media reports, President Muizzu emphasized that the Indian Army would relocate its military personnel from one of the three aviation platforms in the Maldives by March 10, 2024. Subsequently, the military personnel from the remaining two platforms are expected to leave by May 10, 2024.
Muizzu highlighted that his primary commitment as president is to safeguard the freedom and sovereignty of the Maldivian people. He mentioned that the majority of the people in the Maldives have supported his government, viewing it as a “pledge to withdraw foreign troops from Maldives, recover the lost part of Maldives seas and cancel any agreement made by the state that could undermine Maldives sovereignty.”
Addressing the Parliament, Muizzu also announced his intention to establish the capability of the Maldives military to maintain the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) 24 hours a day.
This development follows the central focus of Muizzu’s party’s campaign, which emphasized the withdrawal of Indian troops from the Maldives. Currently, around 70 Indian troops, accompanied by a Dornier 228 maritime patrol aircraft and two HAL Dhruv helicopters, are stationed in the Maldives. The withdrawal of Indian troops became a prominent issue when, on the second day of his presidency, Muizzu formally requested the Indian government to withdraw its military personnel from the Maldives.
In December of the preceding year, Muizzu had asserted that an agreement had been reached with the Indian government for the withdrawal of Indian military personnel. The recent meeting of the high-level core group between the Maldives and India in New Delhi marked the second round of discussions on this matter.
During the second meeting, both sides conducted a comprehensive review of existing bilateral cooperation, with a specific focus on enhancing partnership in defence and security cooperation, economic collaboration, and development partnership. An agreement was reached to hold the third meeting of the high-level core group in Male during the last week of February.
In a joint statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) noted that India and the Maldives have mutually agreed upon practical solutions to facilitate the ongoing operation of Indian aviation platforms, which provide humanitarian and medevac services to the people of the Maldives.
The statement further mentioned that discussions encompassed a broad spectrum of issues concerning bilateral cooperation, with an emphasis on identifying measures to strengthen the partnership. This includes expediting the implementation of ongoing development cooperation projects. The decision on the withdrawal of Indian troops stands as a significant diplomatic milestone in the relationship between India and the Maldives.