Less than two weeks before the scheduled departure of the first batch of military personnel from the Maldives by March 10, the first team of Bharatiya technical personnel has arrived in the island nation. The Maldives Defence ministry announced late Monday that this team of Bharatiya civilians will take over the operation of helicopters in Addu, the southernmost Atoll of the country.
According to the statement issued by the Maldives Defence ministry, the Bharatiya military personnel stationed in Addu will leave by March 10, as agreed upon by both governments. In addition to the arrival of the Bharatiya technical team, a replacement helicopter from Bharat is expected to arrive by Wednesday. The civilian team will commence training exercises to take over the operations of these aviation platforms.
The decision for Bharat to withdraw its military personnel from the Maldives between March and May was made on February 2, in a meeting between the two countries. MEA’s official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal mentioned on February 8 that competent Bharatiya technical personnel would replace the present personnel. These personnel will be responsible for operating two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft in the Maldives.
During the second meeting of the high-level core group between Bharat and Maldivian officials in New Delhi on February 2, it was agreed upon that the Government of Bharat would replace military personnel in one of the three aviation platforms by March 10, 2024, and complete replacing military personnel in the other two platforms by May 10, 2024.
The Ministry of External Affairs didn’t specify a timeline but highlighted that both sides agreed on mutually workable solutions to enable the continued operation of Indian aviation platforms, which provide humanitarian and medical evacuation services to the people of Maldives. Approximately 80 Bharatiya military personnel are currently stationed in the Maldives to operate these platforms.
This withdrawal of Bharatiya military personnel is being viewed as President Mohamed Muizzu’s success in fulfilling his campaign promise to remove Bharatiya military presence from the Maldives. Following his victory in the presidential election last year, Muizzu, perceived as a pro-China leader, formally requested Bharat to withdraw its military personnel, citing a mandate from the Maldivian people.
The establishment of the core group between Bharat and the Maldives followed a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Muizzu on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai in December. The initiative reflects a collaborative effort between the two countries to address concerns and reach mutually beneficial agreements.
Overall, the replacement of military personnel with Bharatiya technical personnel marks a significant development in the bilateral relations between Bharat and the Maldives, emphasizing the importance of diplomatic dialogue and cooperation in addressing regional concerns.
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