India highlights support given by its military contingent in Maldives amid withdrawal concerns
Muizzu's election pledge to remove Indian military from archipelago raises questions about future of bilateral ties
In light of the possibility that President-elect Mohamed Muizzu's administration will order India's military contingent to withdraw from the archipelago in accordance with an election pledge, India emphasized on Thursday the support given by its military personnel stationed in the Maldives, including medical evacuations.
The campaign slogan "India Out" was used by Muizzu to express his opposition to the departing government of Ibrahim Solih, which was seen as being pro-Indian.
When Muizzu took power in mid-November, he stated in his victory address that his first priority would be to remove the Indian military from the Maldives.
On Thursday, Arindam Bagchi, the spokeswoman for the ministry of external affairs, was questioned about the Maldivian President-elect's statements made since then, including one that he made in an interview with Al-Jazeera.
India, according to Bagchi, was looking forward to talking about measures to improve the relationship going ahead and actively engaging with the incoming administration.
Additionally, he emphasized that working together to address common goals and difficulties was the foundation of the bilateral partnership with the Maldives.
"People's welfare, humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and combating illegal maritime activities have all benefited greatly from the assistance and platforms that we have provided," stated Bagchi.
"Our staff has performed more than 500 medical evacuations in the past five years, saving 523 Maldivian lives. Over 450 diverse missions have been completed in the same time frame to protect the Maldives' maritime security. India has also always been the Maldives' first port of call in case of emergency, most recently during COVID."
In order to pilot the Dornier plane and the two helicopters that Male received as gifts in 2020 and 2013, respectively, India keeps a military presence in the Maldives.
The parliamentary committee on security services was notified by the Maldives National Defence Force in November 2021 that 75 Indian military personnel were stationed in the Maldives to operate the Dornier and the choppers.
The Maldivian president Muizzu is not the first to attempt to remove the Indian contingent. The Yameen government, which preceded the Solih administration, had also repeatedly asked India to remove its military force, but the unit was still stationed in the Maldives.
