India and Maldives convened their fourth bilateral High-Level Core Group meeting on Friday, where they assessed the timeline for withdrawing Indian military personnel from the Maldives by May 10. The government affirmed its commitment to complete the replacement of military personnel before the specified date.
Previously, the Maldives government under Mohamed Muizzu formally requested India to withdraw its troops from Male. Both nations’ foreign ministries stated that they discussed various aspects of bilateral cooperation, including development and defence cooperation.
They expressed satisfaction with India’s progress in replacing military personnel stationed at the last of the three aviation platforms by May 10, ensuring logistical arrangements proceed smoothly. Additionally, they agreed to hold the fifth High-Level Core Group meeting in Male during June or July.
The Ministry of External Affairs announced that the initial batch of Indian personnel in the Maldives had been substituted with technical personnel. Both countries have collaborated on viable solutions to sustain the operation of Indian aviation platforms that provide humanitarian and medical evacuation services to Maldivian citizens.
The MEA confirmed the deployment of the first batch of Indian technical personnel to replace defence personnel in the Maldives. India and Maldives have already conducted two high-level core group meetings, with the third anticipated soon.
The withdrawal of Indian troops from the Maldives was a key campaign promise of Muizzu’s party. Currently, approximately 70 Indian troops, along with Dornier 228 maritime patrol aircraft and two HAL Dhruv helicopters, are stationed in the Maldives.