INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A day after he took oath as Maldives president, Mohamed Muizzu asked India in an official communication to pull out its military personnel
from the Indian Ocean archipelago
the inauguration of the president, expressing hope that India will honour the "democratic will" of the people of the Maldives.Muizzu,
however, acknowledged the role played by Indian military choppers, which Indian personnel help fly, in facilitating emergency medical
for India, Muizzu called for accelerating work on India-assisted projects, including the $ 500 million Greater Male Connectivity Project
international tourists have staying on remote islands
He appreciated their role in monitoring and combating drug trafficking," said an Indian source.The expulsion of all Indian personnel will
likely render uncertain the fate of the 2 choppers and also a Dornier aircraft provided by India to the Maldives
As president-elect, Muizzu had on several occasions said he wanted to rid Maldives of Indian military presence, preferably in the first week
of his presidency, but the announcement on Saturday still seemed hasty, given that there is, and by his own admission, no clarity on the
cooperation program to help fly the Dornier aircraft and the choppers India had gifted to the country.The Indian government had reminded
the past 5 years, saved 523 lives through medical evacuation
president.Widely seen as an ally of China, Yameen, who is in jail on corruption charges but whose release Muizzu has pledged to secure soon,
had ordered India to remove both the choppers from the Maldives in 2018
His surprise loss to the MDP candidate, Ibrahim Solih, in the presidential elections the same year put an end to that story.Earlier in the
day, foreign minister S Jaishankar congratulated his new Maldives counterpart Moosa Zameer for his appointment as foreign minister
advance the time-tested relationship between the 2 countries.As the leader of forces that have unabashedly pursued an Indian Out campaign,
and also because of his close ties with Yameen, Muizzu has mostly been described as a pro-China leader in the international media
His aides, however, have refuted claims of a likely China tilt in his foreign policy and Muizzu said last week he has no plans to replace
Indian military personnel with Chinese troops
In the meeting with Rijiju, who sought constructive ties between the 2 countries, Muizzu said that in the presidential election in
September, the Maldivian people had given him a strong mandate to "request" India to remove its troops.
