Union Minister Kiran Rijiju on November 18 called on Maldives President Muizzu and the new president formally requested the Government of India to "withdraw" its military personnel from his country, saying the Maldivian people have given a "strong mandate" to make this request to New Delhi.
Sources told CNBC-TV18 that both India and Maldives have agreed to discuss workable solutions for continued cooperation through use of Indian military platforms and personnel.
Minister Rijiju also took up the issue of Indian military personnel in Maldives and services rendered by them in operating aircraft for medical evacuation and countering drug trafficking
The exact number of Indian military personnel in the Maldives is not known. Engineer-turned-politician, Muizzu, 45, took oath on November 17 as the eighth president of the strategically-located archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean.
Underscoring India's Neighbourhood First Policy', Rijiju represented the country at Muizzu's inauguration ceremony.
"The President noted that at the Presidential Election held in September, the Maldivian people had given him a strong mandate to make the request to India and expressed the hope that India will honour the democratic will of the people of the Maldives,” the statement from the President's Office said.
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