India and the Maldives have officially initiated talks on the withdrawal of Indian military personnel stationed in the Maldives, nearly two months after the Maldivian government requested their removal. The talks began at the Maldivian Foreign Ministry headquarters in Male, with the high-level core group discussing the withdrawal of Indian military personnel and expediting India-backed development projects in the Maldives. The request for withdrawal was made by Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu soon after taking office in November 2023, citing a “strong mandate” from the Maldivian people.
The new Maldivian administration, led by President Muizzu, has identified 77 Indian military personnel in the Maldives. In addition to discussions on troop withdrawal, the Maldives is reviewing over 100 bilateral agreements with India. The talks come amidst tensions between the two nations, sparked by derogatory comments posted by three deputy ministers of the Muizzu government against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The suspension of the ministers followed concerns in India and calls for a boycott by Indian tourists, who make up the largest number of tourists in the Maldives, with Chinese tourists ranking third.
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