President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has affirmed his commitment to leading the Maldives to a state where no foreign military presence exists in the country. The assurance was conveyed during the "Raees ge Javaab" series, a platform facilitating direct engagement between the President and the public on various issues.
During the session, Ahmed Shareef from Hulhumale' voiced concerns to President Dr. Muizzu regarding the withdrawal of Indian troops from the Maldives. In response, the President emphasised that the government considers it a paramount responsibility to ensure the absence of any foreign military presence in the Maldives. He highlighted that efforts to initiate the withdrawal of Indian troops commenced since the inception of his term in office.
Additioanlly, President Dr. Muizzu underscored that the withdrawal process of Indian troops adheres to diplomatic principles and affirmed that all Indian troops in the Maldives would be withdrawn by May 10 of the current year.
The withdrawal of Indian troops from the Maldives stands as a presidential commitment. The Maldivian government requested the Indian government to withdraw its troops by January, with a deadline set for March 15. Following the High-Level Core Group meeting between the Maldives and India, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced an agreement for the withdrawal of Indian troops from three specific areas in the Maldives.