The Maldives government announced 15 March 2024 as the deadline for the complete withdrawal of Indian military personnel from Maldivian soil.
The decision was conveyed to the Indian government on 14 January during the 12th meeting held between the two countries on the issue.
Withdraw Troops by 15 March
A release by the Maldivian government mentioned that so far, 11 meetings have been conducted between the two nations regarding the matter.
At a press conference held at the Presidential Palace in Malé, Abdullah Nazim Ibrahim, President Mohamed Muizzu’s Principal Secretary for Public Policy, said that Indian military personnel will no longer be allowed to live in the Maldives after mid-March.
The announcement was made after the first meeting of the High-Level Core Group, which took place on 14 January.
Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu has asked #India to withdraw its military personnel from #Maldives by March 15, a senior official said on Sunday, nearly two months after Male sought their removal.https://t.co/qtcZdzPtJ7
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) January 14, 2024
The group was set up after Indian PM Narendra Modi met with Muizzu on the sidelines of the UN Climate Summit COP28 in Dubai.
Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives, Munu Mahawar, Deputy High Commissioner Mayank Singh and senior officials from the Indian Navy and Coast Guard represented the Indian side during the meeting.
Different Statements
“Both sides expressed willingness to intensify cooperation and agreed to fast-track the withdrawal of Indian military personnel,” the Maldivian Foreign Ministry said regarding the meeting.
Meanwhile, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs’ (MEA) statement did not mention the deadline.
“During the meeting, both sides held discussions on wide-ranging issues related to bilateral cooperation towards identifying steps to enhance the partnership,” the MEA stated.
The two countries talked about accelerating the execution of an ongoing development cooperation project.
Additionally, the MEA said that both sides held discussions on finding mutually workable solutions to enable the continued operation of Indian aviation platforms that provide humanitarian and medical evacuation services to Maldivians.
The Issue
As per the latest numbers of the Maldivian government, 88 Indian soldiers are stationed in the Maldives.
Despite India’s assertion that the troops stationed there are for technical assistance and maintenance of the aircraft gifted by India, Muizzu’s party was able to make it an election issue, saying that the presence of Indian troops violated Maldivian sovereignty.
Since he came to power, Muizzu has formally appealed to the Indian government to withdraw the military presence and shown pro-China tendencies.
Moreover, he has reviewed several agreements signed with India during ex-President Ibrahim Solih’s tenure, including the hydrographic survey agreement.
Muizzu further intends to decrease the island nation’s dependence on India by diversifying food and medicine imports from other countries.
Maldives asks India to withdraw troops by March 15https://t.co/CVi2t9PiVs
— sun.mv (@sunbrk) January 14, 2024
In another blow to ties with India, the Madivian leader recently visited China for five days.
On returning, without referring to India, he said, “Maldives may be small, but it does not give countries the right to bully us.”
The visit came amid further strain in ties with India after three Maldivian deputy ministers made disparaging remarks against PM Modi and Indians in general.
Subsequently, the Maldives suspended the three officials as India raised the issue with the Maldivian government amid a massive social media uproar.
The Indian High Commissioner was assured that the remarks do not represent the views of the Maldivian government.