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According to the official statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, several media reports also state that Maldives is an important maritime partner of India in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). In such a situation, it is expected that the foreign visit of Minister Musa Zamir will promote bilateral cooperation between the two countries. This is Musa Zameer's first official visit to India after taking charge of the Ministry of External Affairs.
The visit of the Foreign Minister of Maldives is important
The Maldivian Foreign Minister is visiting India at a time when India has said that it will withdraw its military personnel from Maldives before May 10, 2024. However, the comments by the island nation (Maldives government) come ahead of the May 10 deadline set by President Mohammed Muizzu (who is considered pro-China) for complete withdrawal of Indian troops from the Maldives. The government there said on Tuesday (May 7, 2024) that India has so far withdrawn 51 soldiers from there.
How many Indian soldiers have returned from Maldives so far?
The Maldives government had earlier announced that Indian soldiers had left the country in two batches. However, clear data details have not been provided in this regard. Chief spokesperson of the President's Office, Heena Waleed, while answering questions on this issue, said on Monday that a total of 51 Indian soldiers have been sent back so far. News portal 'Edition.MV' quoted Heena Waleed as saying that all the Indian military personnel currently present in the country will be withdrawn from Maldives by May 10. So far, 51 soldiers deployed on two platforms have been sent back. As per a previous announcement by the Maldives government, 88 Indian soldiers are deployed in the country along with two helicopters, one Dornier aircraft and the Senahiya Military Hospital.
It has been agreed to withdraw Indian troops
India has already withdrawn some military personnel operating three aviation platforms in the Maldives. These military personnel have been replaced by civilian technical experts from India. Both countries had earlier agreed to withdraw the remaining Indian troops by May 10, 2024. In this connection, the fourth meeting of the bilateral high level core group of both the sides was held in New Delhi on 3 May.