Maldives President: India has agreed to withdraw its troops

04.12.2023

Maldives President Muizu announced that India has agreed to withdraw its troops from the Maldives. In the presidential election in September this year, Muizu from the pro-China camp was elected president, and the withdrawal of Indian troops was one of his campaign promises.

(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) News from the Maldives said that India has agreed to withdraw its troops from the country. In this regard, the recently elected Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu fulfilled his relevant campaign promises. Muiz won the election in September as a proxy for a pro-China former president who was imprisoned on corruption charges. However, Muizu also stated that he had no intention of destroying the regional balance and replacing the Indian army with the Chinese army.Muizzi’s predecessor pursued the traditional “India first” policy, while Muizum advocated improving relations with China and introducing more Chinese-funded projects.

“After a series of constructive talks, an agreement has been reached with the Indian government on the withdrawal of military personnel,” the president’s office said in a statement on Sunday.

India has gifted three aircraft to the Maldives for patrolling the country’s waters. The above-mentioned Indian military personnel are responsible for the control and maintenance of these three aircraft.

Sunshine, sandy beaches and beautiful natural environment make the Maldives a famous tourist destination.But in the past few years, the country has also become a focus of geopolitical competition.. The Maldives is the only route for international maritime traffic.

Muizou’s office said the technical details of the withdrawal agreement are currently being discussed. Muizou stressed that the Maldives will first use diplomatic channels to ensure that there are no foreign troops stationed on the country’s territory. The Maldives did not indicate a specific timetable for India’s troop withdrawal, and India did not respond on Monday.

On the sidelines of the World Climate Summit in Dubai, Maldivian President Moezu held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Maldives said: “The leaders of the two countries have reached a consensus to establish a high-level committee to be responsible for the coordination of existing development assistance projects and related challenges in the Maldives.”

(AFP)

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