Officials from India, Maldives discuss military withdrawal by April 10
Malé: The third meeting of the high-level officials between India and the Maldives convened in Malé to discuss India’s ongoing military withdrawal from the island nation.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the discussions centered on the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the Maldives. A statement from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that the second group of Indian military personnel is scheduled to leave Maldives by April 10.
This move is seen as a significant decline in the diplomatic relations between India and the Maldives.
India and Maldives have a long history of close relations. However, in recent years, especially after the Narendra Modi government came to power in India, there has been a strain in the relationship due to increased meddling in the internal matters of the Maldives and military presence in the Maldives.
In January, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu had asked India to withdraw its all troops from the island nation, posing the latest in a series of diplomatic challenges from Malé to New Delhi since his September election win.
