In talks with India on troop removal: Maldives President-elect Mohamed Muizzu

Colombo, October 27

Maldives has started negotiations with India to remove its military presence, President-elect Mohamed Muizzu said on Friday, as New Delhi and Beijing both vie for influence in the region.

Removing Indian troops was a key campaign pledge by Muizzu, who ousted President Ibrahim Solih last month.

Around 70 Indian military personnel maintain New Delhi-sponsored radar stations and surveillance aircraft. Indian warships help patrol Maldives’ exclusive economic zone. In an interview published by Bloomberg News, Muizzu said he had already begun negotiations with the Indian government on removing its military presence, calling those talks “very successful already”. “We want a bilateral relationship that’s mutually beneficial,” said Muizzu, adding that Indian soldiers would not be replaced by troops from other nations. He said asking India to remove military personnel in no way indicated that he was going to allow China or any other nation to bring their troops here. — Reuters