Bilateral ties between the Maldives and India – that have hit rock-bottom in recent weeks – have taken another tumble after Male formally asked Delhi to withdraw its troops from the island nation by 15 March.
The demand was conveyed at the first meeting of a high-level core group between the two sides held on Sunday in the Maldivian capital of Male.
“Indian military personnel cannot stay in the Maldives. That’s the policy of this administration,” Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, the public policy secretary in President Mohamed Muizzu’s office, said.
There are about 80 Indian troops in the Maldives – Delhi says they are based there to maintain and operate two rescue and reconnaissance helicopters and a Dornier aircraft it had donated years ago