The President of the Republic of Maldives, Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, has assured the nation that he will not give in to anyone in any matter that shakes the sovereignty of the country.
The President said that the biggest promise he made to the people when he took office was to protect the independence of Maldives and the sovereignty of the people. He said the people supported his government to withdraw foreign troops from Maldives, restore the lost portion of the Indian Ocean and cancel all agreements that could undermine Maldives sovereignty.
The President said the Indian troops in Maldives have been asked to withdraw from the country. He noted that the dates for the withdrawal of the troops have now been agreed upon during the negotiations.
"As agreed in the latest discussions, the military personnel on one of the three aviation platforms will be withdrawn before March 10th, 2024. The remaining two military crews will be withdrawn before May 10th, 2024," he said.
The President further said that the Maldives government has informed India that it will not renew the hydrography agreement signed with India.
"It has also been officially announced that the agreement will not be renewed, which gives the Northern Territory greater powers to draw charts of Maldives’ inland seas," he said.
The work of restoring the lost part of Maldivian waters has been initiated in accordance with international law and a team of experts is now working on ways to advocate for the restoration of the lost area, he said.
Clarifying his government's views on sovereignty issues, the President said, “We are not going to give in to anyone in any such matter that could shake the sovereignty of the country.”