File photograph of Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu.
| Photograph Credit score: AP

India has withdrawn all its troopers from the Maldives, the federal government right here has mentioned, ahead of the May 10 deadline set by President Mohamed Muizzu for the whole withdrawal of Indian navy personnel from his nation.

President Muizzu, broadly seen as a pro-China leader, had set Could 10 because the deadline for the withdrawal of the Indian navy personnel from his nation. Repatriation of some 90 Indian navy personnel stationed within the Maldives was a key pledge of Mr. Muizzu throughout his presidential marketing campaign final yr.

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The final batch of Indian troopers stationed within the Maldives have been repatriated, confirmed Heena Waleed, President’s Workplace Chief Spokesperson informed Solar.mv information portal, with out giving the variety of Indian troopers.

She added particulars in regards to the variety of the troopers stationed can be disclosed later.

The Indian navy personnel had been stationed within the Maldives to function and keep two helicopters and Dornier plane India gifted earlier.

Heena Waleed, President’s Workplace Chief Spokesperson.

Earlier, the Maldives authorities introduced that 51 of those troopers had been repatriated to India on Could 6.

The federal government earlier introduced the presence of 89 Indian troopers within the Maldives, citing official paperwork.

India and the Maldives had agreed to withdraw the remaining Indian troops earlier than Could 10.

At a media briefing in New Delhi on Could 9, Exterior Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal mentioned the primary and the second batches of the Indian personnel returned to India and “now deputation of competent Indian technical personnel has taken place” to function the three Indian aviation platforms.

The event got here as Maldivian Overseas Minister Moosa Zameer visited India. He met Exterior Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Could 9.

They’d “in depth discussions” on bilateral ties and regional safety points. The relations between the 2 nations got here underneath extreme pressure after Mr. Muizzu insisted on the withdrawal of Indian navy personnel working three navy platforms within the island nation.

The Maldives is India’s key maritime neighbour within the Indian Ocean Area and occupies a particular place in its initiatives like ‘SAGAR’ (Safety and Development for All within the Area) and the ‘Neighbourhood First Coverage’ of the Modi authorities.