- Maldivian President Muizzu’s secretary asserts India must withdraw military personnel as per official policy.
- This shift in leadership signals a departure from its previous pro-India stance, now favouring closer ties with China.
Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, the public policy secretary of Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, stated during a Media conference on Sunday,
“Indian military personnel cannot stay in the Maldives. This is the policy of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu and that of this administration,” reiterated the presidential secretary.
Muizzu had previously emphasised in a news conference on Saturday that the Maldives is not “any one particular country’s backyard.”
“We are an independent and sovereign country,” responded Muizzu to reporters’ questions at Velana International Airport after a trip to China. “We might be a small country, but that does not give you the license to bully us,” Muizzu asserted.
The demand for the withdrawal of Indian troops was initiated after Muizzu assumed the presidency of the country, located in the Indian Ocean, late last year.
According to Sun News, a news website based in the capital Male, citing government figures, there are currently 88 Indian military personnel in the Maldives.
New Delhi asserts their presence is for the maintenance and operation of two helicopters and an aircraft donated to the country. However, throughout his election campaign, Muizzu committed to removing those troops from the Maldives.
Muizzu, advocating for closer ties between the Maldives and China, emerged victorious over the incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, widely perceived as pro-India, late last year.
Under President Solih, New Delhi enjoyed close ties with Male, channeling significant financial support into the tourist hot spot and financing infrastructure projects, both large and small, in the country.
Pictured: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu have agreed to strengthen cooperation following their meeting in Beijing this month (Reuters)
Analysts suggest that the change in leadership in Male could present an opportunity not only for Beijing but also for Chinese investors.
