India agreed to withdraw its troops from the Maldives, says President Muizzu

President Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives announced on Sunday that India’s government has agreed to withdraw its soldiers from the Indian Ocean archipelago. Muizzu, who won the September presidential election, campaigned on altering the Maldives’s “India first” policy and pledged to remove the small Indian military presence of approximately 75 personnel. Following discussions at the COP28 climate summit, Muizzu stated that India had agreed to the withdrawal and the establishment of a high-level committee to address development project issues.

The move comes amid regional competition between India and China for influence, with Muizzu’s coalition perceived to lean more towards China. Most of the Indian military personnel in the Maldives were involved in operating two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft provided by India. India has played a role in supporting the Maldives with military equipment, disaster response assistance, and the construction of a naval dockyard.

Muizzu, who emphasized a foreign policy without foreign military presence during his inauguration, had formally requested Indian troop withdrawal from Kiren Rijiju, India’s minister for earth sciences, representing India at the event.