The second round of talks between India and the Maldives on the issue of the evacuation of Indian troops present in the Maldives took place in New Delhi on Friday. News agency PTI quoted the Foreign Ministry of the Maldives as saying, All Indian soldiers present in the Maldives will return to India by May 10, 2024. Its first phase will be completed by March 10.
A few hours before the statement of the Foreign Ministry of the Maldives, the Indian Foreign Ministry said that both countries agreed that the solution to this issue would be found together. The third round of talks will be held in Male, the capital of the Maldives. Its date has not been decided yet.
80 Indian soldiers are present in the Maldives. They help the army there in non-military operations. The Maldives” pro-China President Mohammed Muizzu wants India to withdraw its troops from his country. For this, he has given a deadline of March 15, 2024.
According to the Foreign Ministry of the Maldives, India has three aviation platforms in our country. The soldiers present on one of these will return to India by March 10. After this, the Indian soldiers present on two more platforms will go to their country by May 10.
After the meeting on Friday, the Indian Foreign Ministry issued a statement late at night. Said: Both countries have agreed to work together to resolve this issue. Under this, efforts will be made to maintain the arrangement that Indian helicopters and aircraft in the Maldives continue to help the people there in humanitarian aid and medical emergencies.
According to the statement, it was also agreed that the third meeting of the high-level core group involved in the meeting should be held in Male. For this, both countries will together decide a date. Many issues of cooperation between the two countries were also discussed in the meeting held in New Delhi. This includes those projects that the Government of India is running for the people of the Maldives.
Both countries have formed a core group to resolve the issue of the withdrawal of Indian troops. News agency PTI, quoting sources, has reported that the first round of talks on this issue were held in Male, the capital of the Maldives, two weeks ago. No solution was found then. The second round of talks took place in Delhi. The third round will be held in Male.
Sources said both countries are trying to find a solution that is acceptable to both parties. In December 2023, talks took place between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldives President Mohammed Muizzu during the Climate Summit in Dubai. It was then decided that a core group would be formed to resolve the issue of the withdrawal of Indian troops from the Maldives.
Muizzu had raised the issue of the presence of Indian soldiers in the Maldives during the election campaign last year and demanded their withdrawal. For this, he launched the India Out campaign.
Both countries have formed a core group to resolve the issue of the withdrawal of Indian troops. News agency PTI, quoting sources, has reported that the first round of talks on this issue were held in Male, the capital of the Maldives, two weeks ago. No solution was found then. The second round of talks took place in Delhi. The third round will be held in Male.
Sources said both countries are trying to find a solution that is acceptable to both parties. In December 2023, talks took place between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldives President Mohammed Muizzu during the Climate Summit in Dubai. It was then decided that a core group would be formed to resolve the issue of the withdrawal of Indian troops from the Maldives.
Last month, Muizzu said that if India did not withdraw its forces, it would be an insult to the democratic freedom of the people of the Maldives. This would threaten the future of democracy in the Maldives. In an interview given to the Times of India, President Muizzu expressed his desire to increase defense cooperation with India.
He had said that it was based on mutual respect and trust. Muizzu expressed confidence that the issue of India’s military presence in the Maldives can be resolved through talks. He said that the presence of another country’s army in the country without the permission of the Parliament is against the Constitution.
On India’s role in the development and regional security of the Maldives and the India First Policy, President Muizzu had said, India is our closest neighbor. He is one of our special friends. Historically, there have been many similarities between the two countries. Our relations are progressing rapidly in areas like trade, tourism, and commerce. In 2023, the highest number of tourists came to the Maldives from India.
When called pro-China in the international media, the President of the Maldives said, We are not supporters of any country or in rebellion against it. My government is only in favor of the people of the Maldives. Whatever policies are in favor of the people of the Maldives, we will implement them. Our objective is to further improve the economic condition of the country so that we can play a better role in maintaining peace and stability in the Indian Ocean.
