The call for troops removal was made during External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's meeting with his Maldivian counterpart Moosa Zameer, on the sidelines of 19th Non-Aligned Movement Thursday.
Maldives is abuzz these days with Chinese whispers-like rumours about the mood in Delhi. Is the Modi govt so furious that it may be cooking up a potion or two?
Maldives is among India’s key maritime neighbours & part of its ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’, but President Muizzu set a 15 March deadline for Indian military personnel to leave the island nation.
Muizzu’s confrontational stance towards India are being widely celebrated on Chinese social media. Weibo users see it as a victory for China and unfavourable news for India.
Removal of Indian navy, coast guard personnel was main political plank on which People's National Congress had fought presidential election in September.
Muizzu also announced that the Chinese govt has pledged USD 130 million in assistance grants to the Maldives, adding that Beijing does not interfere in Male’s internal affairs.
Maldives may be small, but its people are as proud of their country as Indians are of theirs. They don’t deserve to be penalised as a whole for the sins of a handful of wretches.
Safaath Ahmed, former spokesperson for Maldivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, says 75 unarmed Indian military personnel deployed in Maldives were engaged in humanitarian work, rescue & medical ops.
Agreements signed during Maldivian President Muizzu’s maiden visit to China covered areas of tourism, disaster risk reduction, agriculture, housing & blue economy cooperation.
Indians see West Asia as one uninterrupted wash of Islam, but the reality is more complex. For the Druze, support from Israel—where they are a recognised minority—is now critical.
Mini deal will likely see no cut in 10% baseline tariff on Indian exports announced by Trump on 2 April, it is learnt, but additional 26% tariffs are set to be reduced.
India-Russia JV is also racing to deliver 7,000 more AK-203 assault rifles by 15 Aug. These are currently being made with 50% indigenisation and this will surge to 100% by 31 December.
Public, loud, upfront, filled with impropriety and high praise sometimes laced with insults. This is what we call Trumplomacy. But the larger objective is the same: American supremacy.
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