NEW DELHI: While the two sides discussed a “mutually workable solution” to let the Indian military installations in the island nation to continue operating, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu on Sunday demanded that India remove its military forces from his country by March 15. At the India-Maldives high-level core group’s inaugural meeting in Male, the topic was covered in great detail. After meeting on the fringes of the COP28 summit in Dubai last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Muizzu of the Maldives agreed to form the core group on the controversial issue. The Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that “both sides also held discussions on finding a mutually agreeable solution to enable continued operation of Indian aviation platforms that provide humanitarian and medvac services to the people of Maldives.” At a press conference in Male, Muizzu requested that the Maldivian delegation notify Indian authorities in the core group meeting that the troops must be removed by March 15. Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim is the principal secretary to the president of the Maldives. Indian soldiers are not permitted to remain in the Maldives. According to Ibrahim, this administration’s and President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s policies are as follows. “During the meeting, both sides held discussions on wide-ranging issues related to bilateral cooperation towards identifying steps to enhance the partnership, including expediting the implementation of ongoing development cooperation projects,” the MEA stated in a statement. “It was agreed to hold the next meeting of the high-level core group in India on a mutually convenient date,” stated the statement. Currently, over ninety Indian employees are stationed in the Maldives, mostly to maintain and operate an aircraft and two helicopters. High Commissioner Munu Mahawar led the Indian delegation at the meeting, along with several other diplomats from the Indian mission.The Maldivian delegation included a number of officials, including Ibrahim Shaheeb, the high commissioner to India for the Maldives, and Ali Naseer Mohamed, the ambassador at large in the foreign ministry. The relationship between India and the Maldives saw some strain when Muizzu, who is viewed as a pro-Chinese politician, insisted that he would fulfil his election pledge to remove Indian military personnel from his nation after taking office. One of India’s most important maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean region is the Maldives, and during the previous administration in Male, bilateral relations generally increased, particularly in the fields of security and defence. On November 17, Muizzu took the oath of office as the president of the Maldives.He demanded that Indian military soldiers leave the Maldives one day after assuming the position of top dog. Muizzu has insisted that he will fulfil his pledge to remove Indian military soldiers from his nation at the polls. On Saturday, the president of the Maldives returned from a six-day trip to China. Both sides signed many agreements to deepen their relations during the visit. When Muizzu spoke to the media in Male after his return, he subtly poked fun at India. “We may be small, but that doesn’t give you the licence to bully us,” he responded. In order to lessen the nation’s reliance on India, he also revealed intentions to secure imports of necessary food items, medications, and consumables from other nations.Three deputy ministers in Muizzu’s ministry made disparaging remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, which sparked a huge outcry. The Maldivian government suspended Abdulla Mahzoom Majid, Mariyam Shiuna, and Malsha Shareef, deputy ministers in the youth ministry, when India brought up the matter with Male. The three deputy ministers implied that Modi was attempting to position the Union Territory as a substitute for the Maldives as a tourism destination by making derogatory remarks about him on ‘X’ after his visit to Lakshadweep.
