Maldives formally asks India to withdraw troops
by AFP Staff Writers
Mal�, Maldives (AFP) Nov 18, 2023
President Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives formally requested on Saturday that India withdraw its troops from his strategically located archipelago, fulfilling an election pledge on his first day in office.
Speaking with a visiting Indian minister, Muizzu asked New Delhi to recall personnel deployed to operate three gifted aircraft patrolling the maritime territory.
“The President formally made the request when he met the Minister of Earth Sciences of India Kiren Rijiju, at the President’s Office earlier today,” his office said in a brief statement.
It did not set a timeline or specify the number of personnel to be withdrawn, but Muizzu announced at his inauguration the previous day that removing foreign troops was a priority.
“The country will not have any foreign military personnel in the Maldives,” Muizzu said shortly after being sworn in at a televised, open-air ceremony.
“When it comes to our security, I will draw a red line. The Maldives will respect the red lines of other countries too.”
Earlier this week, Muizzu told AFP that his intention was not to upend the regional balance by replacing the Indian military with Chinese troops.
A former mayor of the capital Male and a construction minister for seven years, Muizzu had previously promised to cultivate “strong ties” with China, a key financial backer of his nation.
The country’s eighth president since independence from Britain in 1965, Muizzu was elected in September as a proxy for a pro-China predecessor jailed on corruption charges.
Primarily known as one of the most expensive holiday destinations in South Asia, with pristine white beaches and secluded resorts, the Maldives has also become a geopolitical hotspot.
Global east-west shipping lanes pass the nation’s chain of 1,192 tiny coral islands, stretching around 800 kilometres (500 miles) across the equator.
China was represented at Muizzu’s inauguration ceremony by State Councillor Shen Yiqin as a special envoy of President Xi Jinping, who visited the Maldives in 2014 when Muizzu’s mentor Abdulla Yameen was president.
India was represented by Rijiju.
Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
EU seeking to ‘reengage’ with China ahead of Beijing summit
Beijing (AFP) Nov 10, 2023
The European Union is seeking to “reengage” with China ahead of a major summit on December 7 and 8, a top official said Friday, following high-level meetings in Beijing that touched on a range of thorny topics.
European commissioner for the internal market Thierry Breton described his meetings with Chinese counterparts as “constructive” and “tense on some issues”, but added that “it was very good to reengage” after the challenging pandemic period.
Breton said that the world’s largest single mark … read more
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2023 – Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled “by Staff Writers” include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report’s information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.
>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : IndoDaily – https://www.spacewar.com/reports/Maldives_formally_asks_India_to_withdraw_troops_999.html