Male: Maldivian President Mohammed Muizzu has asked India to withdraw its military personnel from the Indian Ocean archipelago country by mid-March, officials said on Sunday afternoon.
The Secretary to the Office of the President, Public Policy, Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, told the press at a briefing in the afternoon that President Muizzu has formally requested India to withdraw its military personnel, estimated at 88, by March 15, reports The Sun (Maldives). Has been asked to withdraw.
He said a high-level core group formed by the two countries to discuss the withdrawal of troops held its first meeting at the Ministry of External Affairs in Male on Sunday morning, in which Indian High Commissioner Munu Mahawar was also present. He told that this was the agenda of the meeting. Request to withdraw troops by mid-March.
“Indian military personnel cannot stay in Maldives. This is the policy of President Dr Mohammad Muizzu and this administration,” he said.
President Muizzu had claimed during his presidential campaign that he would complete the withdrawal of Indian troops from the Maldives, and had made a formal request to India to withdraw its military personnel soon after assuming office.
Amid the controversy over alleged derogatory remarks by three junior ministers against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Lakshadweep, the President of Maldives spoke to the press on Saturday after returning from a five-day state visit to China, without naming India. Gave statement. Attack it more.
“We may be small, but that doesn’t give you license to bully us.” He also announced plans to reduce the country’s dependence on India, including securing imports of essential food items and medicines and consumables from other countries.
“We are not in anyone’s backyard. We are an independent and sovereign state,” he told reporters at Velana International Airport.
He said that no country has the right to influence the domestic affairs of a country regardless of its size and vowed that he would not allow any outside influence on the domestic affairs of the Maldives.
