Maldives tells India to withdraw troops by March 15 as it draws closer to China

President Mohamed Muizzu won election last year on a pledge to end the Maldives’ “India first” policy, in a region where New Delhi and Beijing compete for influence.

A contingent of around 80 Indian soldiers are stationed on the Indian Ocean archipelago to provide support for military equipment given to the Maldives by New Delhi and assist in humanitarian activities in the region.

In talks at the foreign ministry between senior delegations from both countries, Muizzu proposed that the soldiers leave.

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“In this meeting, on behalf of President Muizzu, the Maldivian delegation proposed the removal of Indian troops by March 15,” Ahmed Nazim, Policy Director at the President’s Office told reporters.

“This date was proposed in the agenda by the government and specifically the president. These discussions are ongoing.”

In his campaign, Muizzu called New Delhi’s huge influence a threat to sovereignty and pledged to remove Indian troops.

“The most important point to note here is that Indian troops cannot stay in the Maldives. That’s the policy of this government. It is also the president’s pledge and what the people of Maldives want,” Nazim added.

India’s foreign ministry confirmed that a wide range of issues on bilateral cooperation were discussed between the two countries but the statement was quiet on the issue of the soldiers’ departure from the islands.

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“Both sides also held discussions on finding mutually workable solutions to enable continued operation of Indian aviation platforms that provide humanitarian and medvac services to the people of Maldives,” the statement said.

“We are a free and independent nation. So this territorial integrity is something China respects firmly,” said Muizzu, signalling the Maldives government’s effort to break from India’s influence.

Muizzu also said China sent the largest number of tourists to the Maldives before the Covid-19 pandemic and steps would be taken to double that number.

He also announced plans that, if implemented, will enable the Maldives to break from its dependence on India.

Additional reporting by Associated Press