Maldives has announced that India is set to withdraw its troops from the island nation by May 10, aligning with President Mohamed Muizzu's electoral commitment and signaling a shift towards closer ties with China, reports Bloomberg.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Maldives revealed on Friday, following the second high-level meeting between the two nations in New Delhi, that the replacement of Indian military personnel on the three aviation platforms will be completed by March 10.
Tensions have been escalating between India and the Maldives since Muizzu assumed power in September, advocating for a reduction in India's influence in the region. In the previous month, Muizzu had formally requested New Delhi to complete the troop withdrawal by March 15.
India maintains approximately 70 soldiers responsible for operating and managing radars, helicopters, and aircraft in the Maldives, with some dedicated to medical evacuation purposes. Additionally, its navy conducts patrols in the surrounding waters. It remains unclear whether Maldives intends to substitute India's military personnel with civilians to oversee the operation of helicopters and aircraft.
“Both sides also agreed on a set of mutually workable solutions to enable continued operation of Indian aviation platforms that provide humanitarian and medical evacuation services to the people of Maldives,” India’s foreign ministry said in a statement Friday.
India and China have alternatively vied for influence in the tourism-dependent country, which sits on a busy Indian Ocean shipping lane.
Beijing upgraded its diplomatic ties with the Maldives to a “comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership” during Muizzu’s five day visit to China in January. President Xi Jinping said China will seek to boost direct flights to the island nation, and wants to increase cooperation in areas of trade, investment, agriculture and others.