Maldives-India military talks underway

Maldives and India on Monday held talks on how to continue military relations between the two countries.

The Chief of Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF), Lt. Gen. Abdul Raheem Abdul Latheef, represented Maldives in the talks. India was represented by its Ambassador to Maldives, Munu Mahawar.

The two met on Monday at the Maldivian Army Headquarters, Bandaara Koshi.

In a post on X with a photo of the meeting, Abdul Raheem said they discussed defense relations between the two countries. They also discussed ways to further develop the military relationship between the two countries, he said in his post.

Indian Defense Advisor Captain Deepak Bali was also present at the meeting.

Quoting Abdul Raheem's post, the Indian ambassador said the meeting was very productive. In addition, the Ambassador expressed his hope that the two countries' defense forces will work together to further strengthen ties to address security challenges.

While Maldives and India conducted military talks, this government came to power after heavily criticizing the government of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih for its military ties with the country. The ruling party had also launched a massive 'India Out' campaign, saying the 'secret' military agreements with the country were a threat to national security.

In addition, it is a presidential promise to withdraw Indian troops from Maldives. The President also asked Ambassador Munu Mahawar to withdraw Indian troops on his first day in office. A working group comprising the two countries' leaders has been formed.

The opposition had then alleged that thousands of Indian soldiers were in Maldives, but the government said there were 89 Indian soldiers in Maldives. The figure is not yet clear as different agencies have different information, they now say. Therefore, the number is likely to change.