May 10th 2024.
India has recently withdrawn all their soldiers from the Maldives, as confirmed by the government there. This comes ahead of the May 10 deadline set by President Mohamed Muizzu for the complete withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the country.
President Muizzu, who is known for his pro-China stance, had previously set May 10 as the deadline for the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the Maldives. During his presidential campaign last year, one of his key promises was to repatriate around 90 Indian soldiers stationed in the country.
Recently, the last batch of Indian soldiers stationed in the Maldives have returned to India, according to Heena Waleed, the Chief Spokesperson for the President's Office. However, no specific number was given. Waleed also mentioned that more details regarding the number of soldiers stationed would be disclosed at a later time.
The Indian soldiers were originally stationed in the Maldives to operate and maintain two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft, which were gifts from India. Earlier this week, the Maldives government announced that 51 of these soldiers were repatriated to India on Monday. According to official documents, there were a total of 89 Indian soldiers in the Maldives.
Both India and the Maldives had agreed to withdraw the remaining Indian troops before the May 10 deadline. In a media briefing in New Delhi on Thursday, the External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, confirmed that the first and second batches of Indian personnel had already returned to India. He also mentioned that competent technical personnel from India have been appointed to operate the three Indian aviation platforms.
This development took place while Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer was visiting India. During his visit, he had a meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday. The two had extensive discussions about bilateral ties and regional security issues.
The relationship between India and the Maldives had been strained after President Muizzu insisted on the withdrawal of Indian military personnel operating three military platforms in the country. The Maldives holds a significant position as India's key maritime neighbor in the Indian Ocean Region and is an important part of India's initiatives such as 'SAGAR' and the 'Neighbourhood First Policy' under the Modi government.
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