India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said that the second round of talks on the repatriation of Indian troops from the Maldives will be held in India.
Replying to a question by a journalist at the weekly press conference held by the Ministry of External Affairs, the ministry’s Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the two countries discussed developing their relationship and solving existing problems between them on the meeting held in Maldives on January 14.
"The next round of talks will be held in India. That's the situation right now," Jaiswal said.
A “High Level Committee” has been formed as per the agreement reached following the meeting between India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldives’ President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.
The first meeting of this committee was held in Maldives on Sunday, January 7.
In the meeting held in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was proposed to recall the Indian soldiers in Maldives before March 15 of this year. This was a direct proposal by President Muizzu.
After long hours of discussion, Maldives’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs said India has agreed to “fast track” recalling the Indian soldiers in the Maldives.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that issues of interest between the Maldives and India were discussed at length and both the countries expressed their desire to further strengthen ties during the day's meeting.
After the meeting, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said while they were working to recall their soldiers, they were still discussing how to continue operations of the helicopters and Dornier aircrafts in Maldives.
Public Policy Secretary at the President's Office, Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, said that if there are military personnel involved in flying the aircrafts, they should leave the country, but any civil servants from India who are involved in that role can remain in the Maldives.
While India has said that it will cooperate with recalling their soldiers from Maldives, it is one of the presidential pledges of current President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.
Ambassador-at-Large Ali Naseer Mohamed, Chief of Defence Force Lt Gen Abdul Raheem Abdul Latheef and Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Hala Hameed represented the Maldives in the first round of talks, in addition to Maldivian Ambassador to India Ibrahim Shaheeb.
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