Explorer

Maldives President-Elect Muizzu's Talks With India To Remove Troops 'Very Successful', Says Report

Mohamed Muizzu accused his predecessor Ibrahim Solih of allowing India to exercise unbridled sway over the country.

New Delhi: Reaffirming a position he articulated after being elected the country’s head, incoming Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has said Indian troops stationed in the island-nation would have to leave, Bloomberg reported. In what is being seen as a setback to New Delhi’s efforts to exercise its own sway in the island-nation amid growing Chinese influence, President-elect Muizzu was quoted by Bloomberg as saying that Maldives intends to be “fully independent”.

During an acrimonious campaign for the Presidential polls earlier, Muizzu, who represents the Progressive Party of Maldives, accused his predecessor Ibrahim Solih of allowing India to exercise unbridled sway over the country, Bloomberg noted in its report.

Muizzu had alleged that Solih compromised on the country’s sovereignty by letting India deploy its troops in the region.

READ | Will New Maldives President Muizzu Be Able To Move Away From ‘India First’ Policy? Not Really

In an interview with Bloomberg TV, the incoming President of the island country said, “It happens to be Indian foreign military presence here.”

However, he added that he would have similarly opposed military presence by any other country.

Calling the ongoing talks with India on reducing its military presence in the country as “very successful already”, the President-elect said, “We want a bilateral relationship (with India) that’s mutually beneficial.

According to Bloomberg, India has deployed about 70 military personnel in the island nation to maintain its “sponsored radar stations and surveillance aircraft”. Indian warships are also anchored off Maldives, in the Indian Ocean, and help the country patrol its exclusive economic zone, according to the report.

READ | India To Reach Out To Maldives As Pro-China Muizzu Comes To Power

President-elect Muizzu affirmed, however, asking India to reduce its military presence in the country doesn’t mean that he would “allow China or any other country to bring their military troops there.”

Dismissing the notion that the presidential polls featuring him against Solih was a people’s referendum on whether the country would lean towards India or China going forward, the President-elect told Bloomberg TV, “We want assistance, cooperation with all the countries.”

View More
Advertisement
Advertisement
25°C
New Delhi
Rain: 100mm
Humidity: 97%
Wind: WNW 47km/h
See Today's Weather
powered by
Accu Weather
Advertisement

Top Headlines

Delhi Water Crisis: Atishi's Hunger Strike Ended After Her Hospitalisation, Says Sanjay Singh
Delhi Water Crisis: Atishi's Hunger Strike Ended After Her Hospitalisation, Says Sanjay Singh
Rajnath Singh Reaches Out To Kharge, Stalin To Build Consensus Over LS Speaker Post
Rajnath Singh Reaches Out To Kharge, Stalin To Build Consensus Over LS Speaker Post
'Mindset Is Very Much Alive': PM Modi Slams Congress As BJP Launches 'Dark Days Of Emergency' Campaign
'Mindset Is Very Much Alive': PM Modi Slams Congress As BJP Launches 'Dark Days Of Emergency' Campaign
Will Arvind Kejriwal Get Bail? Delhi High Court To Pronounce Order On ED's Plea Seeking Stay At 2:30 PM
Will Arvind Kejriwal Get Bail? Delhi High Court To Pronounce Order On ED's Plea Seeking Stay At 2:30 PM
Advertisement
metaverse

Videos

T20 WC 2024: Team India Qualifies For T20 WC Semi Finals By Defeating Australia In Super-8Adani Group AGM: Investor's Expectations Shoots Up As Adani Group Performs Remarkably In 1 YearParliamentary Session 2024: Lok Sabha Speaker Likely To Be Nominated Today | ABP NewsBhagya Ki Baat 25 June 2024: How will your day be today? Know today's horoscope | ABP News

Photo Gallery

Embed widget