Will Indian troops be moved out of the Maldives? The two countries met in the national capital to decide the same with New Delhi saying that they agreed on a set of mutually workable solutions with no mention of troops’ withdrawal. The Maldives, on the other hand, claimed that the Indian troops will move out completely by May.
“During the meeting, both sides continued their discussions on wide ranging issues related to bilateral cooperation towards identifying steps to enhance the partnership, including expediting the implementation of ongoing development cooperation projects,” said the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement.
“Both sides also agreed on a set of mutually workable solutions to enable continued operation of Indian aviation platforms that provide humanitarian and medvac services (medical evacuation) to the people of Maldives,” the Ministry added.
India has a deployment of about 89 personnel, including medical staff, to operate three aircraft to patrol the archipelago’s vast maritime territory.
Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu came to power in September after pledging to evict Indian forces.
