Maldives has agreed to military cooperation with India. The President of Maldives, Mohamed Muzammil, announced this yesterday. Muzammil won the presidential election in September. Last month, he took the oath as the President of Maldives.
Muzammil campaigned for the ‘India First’ policy in the elections, advocating for a change in Maldives’ foreign policy. There is a presence of approximately 75 Indian military personnel in Maldives. Muzammil had pledged during the election to relocate all Indian military personnel from Maldives if he won.
Yesterday, Muzammil told journalists, “In our discussions, the Indian government has agreed to withdraw the Indian military.” The President of Maldives stated, “We have also agreed to form a high-level committee to address issues related to development projects.”
After discussions with Indian officials during the COP-28 conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, President Muzammil shared these statements. India supplies some military equipment to the Maldives and provides assistance in disaster relief efforts. In addition, India is assisting in the construction of a naval dockyard in Maldives.
