India on Thursday said it was looking forward to engaging “constructively” with the incoming administration of Maldivian President-elect Mohamed Muizzu, days after he said moving the Indian military personnel out of the island nation was one of his top priorities.
In a media interview, Muizzu said he would request New Delhi to withdraw its personnel and that he hopes to see the back of the troops, if possible, in the first week itself of his presidency.
Widely seen as a pro-China leader, Muizzu is set to take charge as the Maldivian President on November 17. When asked about the Maldivian President-elect’s comments on evicting the Indian military personnel, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi did not give a direct reply.
“Our cooperation with Maldives is based on jointly addressing shared challenges and priorities,” he said. In an interview with Al Jazeera television, Muizzu said he personally raised the matter of withdrawal of the military personnel with the Indian High Commissioner to Male recently.
Bagchi said India was looking forward to “constructively engaging with the incoming administration and discussing ways to enhance our relationship further”. He said the assistance and platforms that India provided to the Maldives have contributed significantly in areas like people’s welfare, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and combating illegal maritime activities. “Over the last five years, more than 500 medical evacuations have been carried out by our personnel, saving 523 Maldivian lives,” he said.
“In the same period, more than 450 multi-faceted missions have been carried out to safeguard the maritime security of Maldives. India has also been a first responder for Maldives in any disaster scenario, including most recently during Covid,” Bagchi said.
Muizzu defeated incumbent President Ibrahim Solih in the presidential runoff last month. The Maldives is one of India’s key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean Region and the overall bilateral ties including in areas of defence and security have been on an upward trajectory in the last few years.
Solih has consistently been focusing on boosting ties with India and was pursuing an “India First” policy. In May, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the Maldives during which he handed over a fast patrol vessel and a landing craft to the island nation.
In August last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Solih kick-started the India-funded Greater Male connectivity project, billed as the largest infrastructure initiative in the island nation.
Under the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP) project, a 6.74 km long bridge and causeway link will be built to connect the capital city Male with adjoining islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi.
The Maldives is also one of the biggest beneficiaries of India’s Neighbourhood First policy.
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