First team of Indian technical personnel arrives in Maldives to replace Army before March 10
Maldives’ newly elected President Mohammed Muizzu wants to take Maldives closer to China and has been a supporter of the ‘India Out’ campaign. (Image: Reuters file)
Indian technical personnel will operate aviation platforms in Maldives. These platforms were earlier operated by Indian military personnel.
The first team of Indian technical personnel manning the aviation platforms of Maldives has reached the island-nation. The team arrives in Male less than two weeks before the first batch of military personnel are expected to leave the Maldives. Indian military personnel have to leave Maldives by March 10.
According to the Government of Maldives Indian ExpressSaid on Monday that the first team of Indian citizens has arrived. They will operate helicopters in Addu, the country’s southernmost atoll.
The statement said that as per the agreement between the two governments, the Indian military personnel deployed in Addu will leave by March 10. It further said that a replacement helicopter would also arrive from India by Wednesday. The civilian contingent will begin training exercises to take over its operations.
The decision to withdraw Indian military personnel from Maldives between March and May was taken earlier this month. Earlier this month, a MEA spokesperson had said that “the present personnel will be replaced by competent Indian technical personnel”.
Technical staff will continue to operate two helicopters and one Dornier aircraft in the island nation. The decision was taken during the second meeting of the high-level core group between Indian and Maldivian officials in New Delhi earlier this month.
Following the meeting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Maldives issued a statement saying that “Both sides agreed that the Government of India will replace the military personnel in one of the three aviation platforms by 10 March 2024, and the military personnel in the other two platforms. Will complete the work of changing the . By 10th May 2024”
The Union Ministry of External Affairs did not share any timeline in its statement, but said Indian and Maldivian officials “agreed on a set of mutually workable solutions to enable continued operations of Indian aviation platforms”. These platforms provide humanitarian and medical evacuation services to the people of Maldives. About 80 Indian military personnel are deployed in Maldives who help operate these platforms.
Maldivian authorities in January had set a March 15 deadline for India to withdraw its military personnel from the country.
