Second high-level talks on Indian military withdrawal to take place in India

The second meeting of the high-level talks on the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the Maldives will be held in India.

The withdrawal of foreign military personnel, particularly Indian troops, was a central point in Maldives President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's presidential campaign. It is also included among his targets for the first 100 days in office, and upon assuming power on November 17, Muizzu officially communicated the request to the Indian government. According to the government, there are 77 Indian military personnel in the Maldives.

To facilitate the negotiation process, a high-level core committee was established jointly by the Maldives and India. The committee convened on January 14 at the Maldives Foreign Ministry, where the Maldivian government formally submitted the request for the repatriation of all Indian military personnel by March 15.

India's External Affairs Ministry, in its weekly press conference held Thursday, said the second meeting of the core group is slated for January 27 and will be hosted in India. The ministry's spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the core group's inaugural meeting discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations between both countries and work together.