Male: In view of anti-India comments, now the time has come to repay India's debt. He has sought relief from the debt of Rs 40 crore to be repaid to India at the end of this year. He has said that India will remain his close partner. He has been continuously insisting on the removal of Indian troops from Maldives.
Maldivian President Muizzoo has been consistently anti-India and pro-China since taking oath as the President in November last year. Within hours of assuming the post of President, he showed his tough stance towards India and insisted on the withdrawal of Indian troops. He has set a deadline of May 10 for the return of all Indian military personnel.
On Thursday, he said that India has been at the forefront in providing assistance to Maldives and has implemented many projects. India will remain a close partner of Maldives. There is no question about it. Muizzo demanded that all 88 military personnel from three Indian aviation platforms return by 10 May. India has provided humanitarian assistance to Maldives for the past few years through two helicopters and one Dornier aircraft. For this, two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft were used. The Maldives are 70 nautical miles from Minicoy Island in Lakshadweep, India, and 300 nautical miles from the mainland.