This is an excerpt from an exclusive interview President Dr Mohamed Muizzu gave to Mihaaru. This article is a translation of one written by Ahmed Hamdhoon of Mihaaru.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has stated that the Indian civilians replacing Indian military personnel to operate the three aircrafts gifted by their government to Maldives are not coming to be stationed in Maldives permanently, and that they will only be based here for a specific period of time.
"To operate those aircrafts for a specific period under an agreement. Not at all for perpetuality, not something that is being done for a lifetime," the President stated.
The President made these comments in an exclusive interview he granted to 'Mihaaru' on Wednesday, his first interview since he has assumed office.
Earlier this month, the Indian Military personnel stationed in the platform based in Gan, Addu have left the Maldives as per the President's pledge. They have, instead, been replaced by civilian experts from India.
The two countries have reached an agreement where all Indian military personnel stationed in Maldives will be recalled by May 10 this year, and then replaced by civilian experts from the country. These civilians will be responsible for the operation of the two helicopters and the Dornier flight which were gifted to the Maldives from India.
The President said that as the biggest priority had been to remove Indian military presence from the Maldives, the most focus had been placed on achieving this swiftly within the shortest duration of time.
"This is not at all a case of military officers taking off their uniforms and wearing civilian garb. This really is military personnel being replaced with civilians, " the President assured.
The government has so far not disclosed the exact duration for which the civilians coming to replace the troops will remain in their roles.
Asked about the insinuations that the removal of Indian troops had adversely affected Maldives-India relations, the President responded that the decision for the Maldives' military to surveil and monitor its own Exclusive Economic Zone is not in any way a move to distance Maldives from India.
"It is regrettable that there are some trying to pitch this, portray this, as such. India also monitors its own territory by themselves, don't they? And other nations as well. It is something I highlight with gratitude that for all these days, we were able to monitor and secure our territories with the assistance of India and other nations," President Dr Muizzu said.
However, the President noted, with Maldives being an independent state, he felt the need to fully embrace and experience that independence. He described this as a right of Maldivian citizens.
"And I had also pledged to do that. So us beginning to monitor this territory by ourselves, commencing to transfer our patients from one place to another by ourselves, beginning to produce all possible varieties of food products locally instead of importing them and thereby establishing food security, bringing down the costs of importing, these are not actions taken to distance ourselves from another country. It is not so in any way," President Dr Muizzu asserted.
He stated that this was, instead, steps taken by the government to strengthen Maldivians' independence, and said it is highly irresponsible to attempt to portray these actions as either distancing the country from India or moving the country towards China.
The President stated that all he is working to achieve is to ensure that Maldivians can stand on their own two feet.
"No country can do everything on its own, not even the biggest country. Even America has to depend on other countries. China does, too. India, as well. However, do Maldivians not deserve to attempt to do whatever we are able to do by ourselves, independently?"
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