Chicago – January 16, 2024
India and the Maldives held formal discussions on Sunday to discuss the withdrawal of Indian troops from the island nation.
“Indian military personnel cannot remain in the Maldives after March 15. At a press conference on Sunday, Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim from the Maldives President’s Office stated that this is President Mohamed Muizzu’s and the administration’s policy. Ibrahim made the remarks following the maiden meeting of the India-Maldives Core Group in Male.
It was set up following a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldives President Muizzu last month on the sidelines of the UAE COP-28 conference.
Ibrahim urged that civilians from India be allowed to operate the Indian aircraft stationed in the Maldives. A Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement stated that conversations were undertaken “to find (a) mutually workable solution to enable the continued operation of Indian military platforms that provide humanitarian and medvac services to the people of the Maldives.”
In addition, the Maldives has declared a number of other measures to prevent trade and health reliance on India. Aasandha, a government-owned health insurance agency, will broaden its coverage to include renowned hospitals in Thailand and Dubai. Currently, Aasandha services largely include hospitalisation in Indian facilities.
