Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu has said that the steps taken by his government to ensure the Indian Ocean island nation’s security on its own should not concern any “external parties.” This comes days after the first batch of Indian military personnel operating a helicopter gifted by India left the island nation after Muizzu stepped up his anti-India rhetoric.
Muizzu underscored that Maldives is not a small nation and said the country is capable of monitoring its jurisdiction. Without naming any country, he said, “Maldives is an independent and sovereign nation and that surveillance of the Maldives’ jurisdiction should not concern any external parties,” as quoted by news agency PTI.
The The Maldivian President “affirmed the importance of the Maldives navigating its course towards self-reliance and remaining an independent and sovereign nation in every aspect,” the press release said.
Muizzu stated that the Maldives’ independence and sovereignty “must be in the common interest of the entire populace, despite varying ideologies”. He further stated that this would not impede the Maldives’ close relations with all countries.
The Maldivian President has affirmed that no Indian military personnel, not even those in civilian clothing, would be present inside his country after May 10. He stormed to power last year on an anti-India stance, and within hours of taking oath, demanded India to remove its personnel from the strategically located archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean.
The Maldivian President had asked India to withdraw nearly 90 military personnel from the island nation soon after he assumed office in November last year. India has agreed to replace the military personnel with civilians and continue the operations of two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft provided to the country for humanitarian and medical evacuation services.
According to a press release by the President’s Office, Muizzu’s comments came while speaking at a ceremony to launch the Maldives National Defence Force’s (MNDF) Air Corps and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Muizzu announced new initiatives to strengthen the Maldives’ military capabilities at the ceremony.
An initiative to mobilise resources to recondition neglected military resources and bring them up to a standard for military use and public service was launched, the press release said.
Meanwhile, Maldivian defence minister Ghassan Maumoon said that the launch of the Maldives National Defence Force Air Corps has shocked enemies and friends.
Ghassan said the role of defence forces and the strategies of war have changed in the modern world, adding that armies are now dependent on technology and tactics are used to reduce risk to lives.
“It is a sophisticated technology platform used in developed countries in the world. At the same time, it is a weapon with firepower that can take defensive manoeuvres to defend the country’s sovereignty while focusing on surveillance and search and rescue,” he was quoted as saying by Adhdhu.com, a news portal, as reported by PTI.