The tension that started between Maldives and India over an Instagram post of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has escalated to a level which has the defense forces involved. Maldives will no longer have Indian troops surveying the region. The 2019 agreement between the two countries has been terminated and the Indian forces will start withdrawing from the 10th of March.
The President of Maldives Mohamed Muizzu has said that Maldives would start developing its own defense forces and will be self-sufficient in protecting its interests in the Indian Ocean. The Indian troops will withdraw all the troops within two months.
The exit of Indian military forces from Maldives has made way for the Chinese government to exert influence in the region. China is the biggest creditor to Maldives and therefore Maldives is more indebted to the Asian super economy.
President Muizzu asserted that the process of strengthening the military has begun. The country is located in a strategically important location for commercial ships. This makes it even more important to have a modern naval defense force.
