COP 28: India, Maldives discuss HADR platforms, will set up core group

Indian officials discussed the issue of Indian platforms engaged in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) activities with their counterparts from the Maldives on the sidelines of the COP 28 climate conference in the UAE.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives recently met in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, during the COP28 Summit.

According to sources, the Maldives has acknowledged the utility of these platforms. India and the Maldives are reportedly discussing how to keep these platforms operational.

The sources further underlined the ongoing awareness of the value of Indian platforms and mentioned allegations regarding their involvement in HADR operations in the Maldives.

“We have seen reports about status of Indian platforms in Maldives engaged in HADR activities. The continued usefulness of the Indian platforms as it was recognised in discussions needs to be looked at in a proper perspective. The issue was briefly discussed in Dubai,” officials said.

“The Maldivian side has acknowledged the utility of these platforms. The fact that it is an important segment of our bilateral development partnership is recognised by both sides,” they added.

“Discussions on how to keep them operational are ongoing. The core group that both sides have agreed to set up will look at details of how to take this forward.”

PM Modi welcomed newly elected President Muizzu on taking office during their meeting in Dubai.

The two leaders discussed the extensive bilateral relationships that exist between their two nations, including economic ties, development collaboration, and people-to-people ties.

“Both leaders reviewed the wide-ranging bilateral relations between the two countries, including people-to-people linkages, development cooperation, economic relations, climate change and sports,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

“The two leaders also discussed ways to further deepen their partnership. In this regard, they agreed to set up a core group,” the MEA added.

Meanwhile, the Indian government has decided to remove its troops from the Maldives.

“The Indian government has agreed to remove Indian soldiers,” Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu told reporters.

“We also agreed to set up a high level committee to solve issues related to development projects.”

Muizzu made the comments after speaking with Indian authorities on the sidelines of the COP28 climate conference.

China and India have been competing for influence in the Maldives, and it is thought that the coalition backing Muizzu has a stronger inclination towards China.

The majority of Indian military personnel were stationed in the Maldives to oversee and control two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft that India had donated to the Maldives.

India supports in disaster relief efforts, has been building a navy dockyard in the Maldives, and supplies certain military hardware to the country.

Muizzu pledged after his inauguration last month to make sure there is no foreign military presence in his nation.

India and the Maldives have had a long and enduring friendship spanning several centuries. In 1965, India became the first country to acknowledge the Maldives as an independent nation and to forge diplomatic relations.

There are no political difficulties in India’s relationship with the Maldives. India’s swift intervention in the 1988 coup attempt resulted in the growth of mutual trust and amicable, long-lasting bilateral ties with the Maldives.

India was the first country to help the Maldives in the wake of the 2004 tsunami and the December 2014 water crisis in Male. The government and people of the Maldives universally acknowledge these three occurrences (1988, 2004, and 2014) as demonstrating the benefits of India’s closeness and ability to assist the Maldives in times of need compared to other nations.

India has further established itself as the “first responder” in the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to its prompt delivery of 30,000 doses of the measles vaccine in January 2020 to stop an outbreak in the Maldives and its prompt and extensive assistance to the Maldives since the pandemic started, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

(With agency inputs)