Doing diplomacy with patience in Maldives

Strained Delhi-Malé relations will boost Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean

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India-Maldives relations were expected to face renewed strains when Mohamed Muizzu, the leader of the Opposition People's National Congress, won the November 2023 presidential election on an "IndiaOut" populist plank. After taking office, he has asked India to withdraw its contingent of 75 defence personnel who operate the Dornier aircraft and helicopters gifted by the country for surveillance of Maldives' large exclusive economic zone (EEZ), disaster relief operations across more than a thousand islands in the Maldives spread over a vast ocean space, and to promote maritime security under the Colombo Security Conclave of which the Maldives is a founder member. The new government has also declined to renew an agreement under which India was assisting in carrying out a hydrographic survey of the country's EEZ. There has so far not been any official reaction from the Indian side. Muizzu maintains that India has acceded to his requests.