In a diplomatic development, the United States government has opted to remain neutral regarding the announcement made by the Maldives president-elect, Mohamed Muiz, regarding his intent to fulfill his electoral promise of initiating the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the archipelago.
Principal Deputy Spokesperson of the U.S. State Department, Vedant Patel, during the daily press briefing, expressed that this matter falls squarely within the purview of bilateral relations between the Maldives and India. Patel emphasized that the U.S. government has refrained from implying any obligation on the part of nations to make decisions pertaining to their exclusive partnerships with countries such as China, the United States, India, or any other, thus respecting their sovereignty in this regard.
It is noteworthy that Mohamed Muiz is perceived as pro-China, in stark contrast to the outgoing Maldives president, Mohamed Solih, who was seen as pro-India.
Furthermore, the U.S. has upheld its stance on the ongoing diplomatic dispute between Canada and India, stemming from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations that New Delhi orchestrated the assassination of Canadian Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia earlier this year. The U.S. has consistently urged India to cooperate with Canada’s investigation into this matter.
Addressing this situation, Mr. Patel reiterated the U.S.’s deep concern regarding Trudeau’s allegations and underscored the importance of Canada’s investigative process and the apprehension of the responsible parties. The U.S. government has both privately and publicly urged Indian authorities to facilitate the investigation.
Earlier, India had called for the expulsion of 41 Canadian diplomats from its territory by October 10 in response to these allegations. When asked about the possibility of Canada responding in kind by expelling Indian diplomats en masse, Mr. Patel refrained from engaging in hypothetical scenarios. It is worth noting that the Indian government has denied any involvement in Nijjar’s demise and accused Canada of taking a lenient stance on separatist activities.
In spite of the potential for a flurry of retaliatory diplomatic expulsions, Mr. Patel affirmed the U.S.’s continued focus on the Indo-Pacific region, highlighting their partnership with India in forums such as the Quad. He emphasized that the U.S. takes the allegations seriously and reiterated their call for India’s cooperation with the investigation.
