The first batch of Indian soldiers stationed in the Maldives has returned. Maldives media reported on Monday that soldiers operating the helicopters gifted by India have handed over the controls to an Indian technical expert team before departing.
Approximately 25 Indian soldiers stationed in the city of Addu have now returned to India after transferring helicopter operations to the Indian technical expert team, shared a Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) media official.
However, the Indian Ministry of Defence has not yet confirmed this development.
According to the MNDF official, in line with the agreement between the two nations, the Indian military contingent left the country before March 10. Henceforth, the helicopters' operations will be managed by the technical team sent to the Maldives as a replacement for the soldiers.
The official added that the remaining Indian soldiers deployed at other locations in the Maldives will also return by May 10.
'No Indian Soldier, Even in Civvies, Will Remain in the Maldives'
The President of Maldives, Mohammed Waheed, considered a supporter of China, has recently stated that after May 10, not a single Indian soldier will be present in his country, not even in civilian clothes.
Last week, he asserted, 'By May 10, there will be no Indian soldiers in the country, neither in uniform nor in civvies. The Indian military will not be staying in the country in any kind of attire. I say this with confidence.'
Consensus Reached between Two Nations after High-level Meetings
The mutual consensus on the withdrawal of Indian soldiers from the Maldives and the deployment of the Indian technical expert team to manage the helicopters came after several rounds of discussions.
Annoying a high-level meeting between both parties in New Delhi on February 2, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Maldives said that by May 10, India would withdraw its soldiers from the three aviation platforms in the Maldives and replace them with a technical team. The ministry claimed that by March 10, the first phase of the soldiers’ withdrawal would be completed.
India agreed to remove its soldiers from the Maldives with the condition that it would place a number of its nationals equivalent to the soldiers to operate the helicopters.
President Waheed has requested India to withdraw the 89 soldiers stationed in the Maldives. In addition, Maldives consented to replace Indian soldiers with technical experts and to continue the operation of two Indian helicopters and a Dornier aircraft providing humanitarian and medical evacuation services.
