 "India will withdraw its troops from island nation by May 10: Maldives")
By Sudhi Ranjan Sen
Maldives said India will withdraw its troops from the island nation by May 10, a move that makes good President Mohamed Muizzu’s election promise as he draws closer to China.
India will replace its military personnel operating the three aviation platforms by the date, with the first phase of the withdrawal concluding by March 10, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Maldives said late Friday after the second high-level meeting between the two sides in New Delhi.
Tensions between India and the Maldives have been rising since Muizzu came to power in September on a campaign to reduce India’s influence in the island. Last month, Muizzu had asked New Delhi to pull out its troops by March 15.
India has about 70 soldiers who operate and maintain radars, helicopters and aircraft in the Maldives, some of which are used for medical evacuations. Its navy also patrols surrounding waters. There’s no clarity on whether Maldives will replace India’s military personnel with civilians to operate the 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.
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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.