New Delhi: Officials from India and Maldives Sunday held the third core group meeting in Malé, where they discussed the ongoing deputation of Indian technical personnel to replace military personnel operating three Indian aviation platforms in the archipelago country.
“During the meeting, both sides reviewed the ongoing deputation of Indian technical personnel to enable continued operation of Indian aviation platforms that provide humanitarian and medevac services to the people of Maldives,” the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
Expediting the implementation of ongoing development projects was also discussed, said the MEA.
The Maldivian government is yet to issue a statement on the meeting.
The meeting comes days after the Maldivian government, led by President Mohamed Muizzu, purchased drones from Turkey for patrolling the country’s maritime area.
Weeks earlier, on the heels of the arrival of an Indian civilian team in the country to replace Indian military personnel, China and Maldives inked new defence agreements, including one in which Beijing agreed to provide free military assistance to Maldives.
Earlier this week, during a weekly press briefing, the Indian side confirmed that the first batch of Indian military personnel in Maldives has been replaced.
“The turnaround of the first team of personnel who were operating the [advanced light helicopter] ALH, has been completed,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters.
There are approximately 77 unarmed Indian military personnel deployed in the Maldives as part of an memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Malé and New Delhi. They consist of military engineers, trainers and pilots.
The three Indian aviation platforms include two ALH and a Dornier aircraft which have been used for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief purposes in the Maldives.
Last December, Muizzu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the COP28 Summit in Dubai where they agreed to set up a high-level committee to further strengthen cooperation between their nations.
So far, three high-level meetings have been held between the two countries, mainly to iron out issues on the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the country — a major campaign promise of Muizzu ahead of the presidential elections last year.
During the second core-level meeting this February, the two sides agreed to phased replacement of Indian military personnel. First, troops will be withdrawn from one aviation platform by 10 March and then the other two platforms by 10 May.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
Also read: How can India regain footing in Maldives? Keeping China out is the Great Game at Delhi event