New Delhi: In a significant development, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu stated on Sunday that India has agreed to withdraw its soldiers from the Indian Ocean archipelago nation. The announcement came after discussions between the two countries, where they also agreed to establish a high-level committee to address issues related to development projects.
“In the discussions we had, the Indian government has agreed to remove Indian soldiers… We also agreed to set up a high-level committee to solve issues related to development projects,” President Muizzu informed reporters in Male.
However, sources from the central government clarified that discussions on the troop withdrawal are still ongoing. The matter was briefly discussed during the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Muizzu on the sidelines of the COP29 Climate Summit in Dubai.
Government sources emphasized, “We have seen reports about the status of Indian platforms in the Maldives engaged in HADR [high availability disaster recovery] activities. The continued usefulness of the Indian platforms, as recognized in discussions, needs to be looked at from a proper perspective.”
The sources pointed out that both sides have acknowledged the utility of these platforms, and ongoing discussions are focused on how to keep them operational.
President Muizzu, who recently assumed office, formally requested India on November 18 to withdraw its military presence from the country. He reiterated his commitment to ensuring that the Maldives remains free of any foreign military presence to preserve its independence and sovereignty.
