India agreed to withdraw troops from country: Maldives Prez Muizzu; India says talks still on
text_fields
India has agreed to the Maldives government's request to recall about 75 Indian military personnel engaged in humanitarian operations on the islands, President Mohammad Muizzu claimed on Sunday, two days after his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai.
The move, which was demanded by Muizzu during his “India Out” election campaign slogan has come as a disappointment for New Delhi, which has been urging the Maldives to look at the utility of Indian personnel in the Maldives in the “proper perspective”.
“The Indian government has assured the people of Maldives that it will respect their decision regarding the withdrawal of Indian troops from Maldives,” the Maldives President’s office wrote in a tweet, quoting from Muizzu’s press conference earlier in the day after he returned from the UAE.
Government sources on Sunday countered Muizzu’s claim, saying that the discussions were still “ongoing”. The sources also said that the “core group” announced after the Modi-Muizzu meeting would look into all aspects of whether the 75 Indian naval personnel currently working on Indian projects in the Maldives should stay or not.
The Ministry of External Affairs did not comment on the development.
Also Read - Gaza war Day 58: World leaders call for fresh ceasefire as death toll crosses 15, 000
However, sources said that the issue of India’s platforms and personnel that work on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) programmes was “briefly discussed” when the leaders met in Dubai.
Notably, the matter had not been mentioned directly in the official statements issued by both governments following the talks between PM Modi and President Muizzu on Friday, their first meeting since Muizzu took power.
The Maldives Presidency had alluded to the subject of Indian troops in Maldives being discussed as it said they discussed cooperation on matters of “concern and sensitivities for the people of Maldives”. Muizzu's statement on Sunday suggests that he remains firm in his demand, showing no inclination to compromise despite the meeting with PM Modi.
The matter of Indian personnel has been a source of contention since Muizzu secured victory in the presidential elections in October, ousting former President Ibu Solih who was seen as more India-friendly, and reiterates that he would go through with his campaign promise of “ensuring the Maldives’ sovereignty.”
Government sources said the HADR operations, which require Indian personnel to operate and maintain them at present was an “important segment” of the bilateral development partnership.
Also Read - Volcano Morapi in Indonesia erupts, spewing ashes 3km high
“The continued usefulness of the Indian platforms as it was recognised in discussions needs to be looked at in a proper perspective,” the sources said, responding to Muizzu’s statement.
“Discussions on how to keep them operational are ongoing. The core group that both sides have agreed to set up will look at details of how to take this forward,” the sources added.
Former President Abdullah Yameen had also demanded that all Indian military personnel stationed there would leave the Maldives, and his government held up renewals of all their visas. After months of negotiations, however, the personnel were allowed to stay, and have carried out several important operations to rescue survivors and provide food and potable water to those stuck since then.
Sending back the personnel will be perceived as a challenge to India and a signal that engaging with President Muizzu may not be as easy for New Delhi as it was with his predecessor, Solih, who pursued a "India first" policy.
President Muizzu’s visit to Turkiye last week, his first bilateral visit anywhere, had also raised eyebrows in India.
