The newly appointed Foreign Minister, Moosa Zameer, has expressed his commitment to working collaboratively with India on issues of mutual interest and concern. Zameer made the remark on social media platform X, responding to a congratulatory message from India's External Affairs Minister Dr. Subramaniam Jayashankar on his appointment as Foreign Minister.
"I look forward to working with you on issues of mutual interest and concern and to recalibrate and advance the time-tested relationship between our two countries for the betterment of our people," he wrote.
The dialogue comes at a crucial time as the new President of the Maldives, Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, emphasized during his presidential campaign the importance of withdrawing foreign military personnel from the country. It was later clarified that President Muizzu was specifically addressing the presence of Indian military personnel, approximately 75 in number, stationed in the Maldives to operate Dornier aircraft and helicopters gifted by the Indian government.
The withdrawal of Indian troops from Maldives is one of the pledges he aims to fulfill within the first 100 days of his rule. During the transition period, Dr. Muizzu had said discussions were held with Indian officials regarding the matter and that the outlook looked positive.
According to Dr. Muizzu, his commitment to maintaining close relations with India and other nations is contingent upon their respecting the Maldives' independence and sovereignty.