On Friday, India and the Maldives engaged in crucial discussions with the primary objective of seeking a mutually feasible resolution to sustain the operation of Indian military platforms in the island nation, as indicated by individuals familiar with the matter.
The second session of the high-level India-Maldives core group is currently in progress in Delhi, occurring over two weeks after the initial meeting in Male failed to make significant progress on the contentious issue.
The ongoing core group meeting has a specific focus on finding a mutually acceptable solution, according to one of the sources mentioned earlier. The decision to establish the core group was made after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldivian President Muizzu on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai in December.
In the previous month, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu formally requested India to withdraw all its military personnel from the island nation by March 15.
there are approximately 80 Indian military personnel stationed in the Maldives, mainly tasked with operating two helicopters and an aircraft that have conducted numerous medical evacuations and humanitarian missions.
The relationship between the two nations experienced some tension following Muizzu's assumption of power in November.