The request was made by Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, who met Indian Union Minister Kiren Rijiju in Malé earlier in the day.
Maldives' recently elected government has issued a formal request to
India to withdraw its troops stationed on the island-country's soil, as
per an official statement issued on November 18.
“The Government of Maldives has formally requested Government of India to
withdraw its military personnel from the Maldives," the statement
noted.
The request was made by Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, who met
Indian Union Minister Kiren Rijiju in Malé earlier in the day.
When Rijiju called on Muizzi at the President's office, the latter
acknowledged the contribution of the Indian helicopters and aircraft for
medical evacuation of Maldivian citizens, news agency ANI reported,
citing sources.
Muizzi appreciated their role in monitoring and combating drug
trafficking, the sources reportedly added, while also noting that it was
agreed that the two governments would discuss workable solutions for
continued cooperation through the use of these platforms.
Privileged to call on President H.E. Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) November 18, 2023
Conveyed greetings from Hon’ble PM @NarendraModi and reiterated India’s commitment to further strengthen the substantive bilateral cooperation and robust people-to-people ties. pic.twitter.com/nFa95QD9ES
The withdrawal of India's military presence in Maldives was one of the
major issues in the tightly contested presidential elections held in
September.
Also Read: What was at stake for India, China in the Maldives election
Muizzu, who successfully challenged the then incumbent president
Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, had promised to ensure the removal of Indian
troops and maintain geopolitical neutrality if he is elected to power.
Notably, the Maldivian defence force had said in 2021 that about 75
Indian military personnel were located in the country to maintain and
operate an aircraft that was provided as an aid in 2020.
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The opposition coalition that Muizzu led had an “India Out" campaign
to corner the Solih government on the issue. There were also
speculations that the new president may shift Maldives towards the
pro-China camp after assuming office.
Also Read: PM Modi congratulates Muizzu on presidential poll win
Muizzu, however, has maintained that he wants to keep cordial
relations with both New Delhi and Beijing. He has ruled out the
possibility of facilitating the presence of Chinese troops in the
Indian Ocean archipelago.
"Maldives is too small to be entangled in geopolitical rivalry," news
agency AFP quoted him as saying on November 15. “I am not very much
interested to engage the Maldivian foreign policy in this," he added.
