Will Lead Maldives To Have No "Foreign" Military Presence, Says President
NDTV
The statement comes a day after Muizzu, who rode to power on anti-India posturing, declared that the Maldives will maintain autonomous control over all its territories.
President Mohamed Muizzu on Wednesday said by bolstering the defence capabilities of the Maldives, the country will soon reach a point where there is no "foreign" military presence, weeks after he sought the withdrawal of Indian defence personnel from the archipelago nation.
The statement comes a day after Muizzu, who rode to power on anti-India posturing, declared that the Maldives will maintain autonomous control over all its territories, including maritime, aerial, and terrestrial domains apart from enhancing Maldives' capabilities for conducting underwater surveys.
In his first presidential speech on Monday, Muizzu, widely seen as a pro-China leader, had said the first group of Indian military personnel will be sent back from the Maldives before March 10 and the remaining manning two aviation platforms will be withdrawn before May 10.
