Muizzu won the presidential election in September, having campaigned to alter the Maldives’s “India first” policy and promising the removal of a small Indian military presence of some 75 personnel.

“In the discussions we had, the Indian government has agreed to remove Indian soldiers,” Muizzu told reporters. “We also agreed to set up a high level committee to solve issues related to development projects.”

Muizzu made the remarks following engagements on the sidelines of the COP28 climate summit with Indian officials.

India provides certain military equipment to the Maldives, assists in disaster response and has been helping build a naval dockyard there.

A senior Indian government official in New Delhi told Reuters discussions took place between India and the Maldives on the matter, and both sides recognised the importance of the assistance India provides.

The Maldives “acknowledged the utility of these (Indian) platforms … 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,” said the official, without commenting directly on Muizzu’s remarks.

India’s ministry of foreign affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.

India and China have been vying for influence in the region, with the coalition that supports Muizzu considered to have a leaning more towards China.

Most of the Indian military personnel were in the Maldives to operate and manage two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft given to the Maldives by India.

At his inauguration last month, Muizzu said he would ensure that his country has no foreign military presence.

He had made the request of Indian troop withdrawal to Kiren Rijiju, India’s minister for earth sciences, who represented India at the president’s inauguration.

Muizzu won the presidential election in September, ousting Ibrahim Solih in a runoff after promising to remove a small Indian military presence of some 75 personnel.

India and China have been vying for influence in the region, with the coalition backing Muizzu considered to be leaning more towards China.

“The Maldivian people had given him (Muizzu) a strong mandate to make the request to India and expressed the hope that India will honour the democratic will of the people of the Maldives,” the president’s office said in a statement on Saturday.

India’s defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

At his inauguration on Friday, Muizzu said, “I will ensure that this country has no foreign military presence on its soil.”

Muizzu made the request to Kiren Rijiju, India’s minister for earth sciences, who was representing India at the president’s inauguration, it said.

“It was agreed that the two governments would discuss workable solutions for continued cooperation,” a senior Indian government official said on condition of anonymity, without clarifying whether India would return its military.

Muizzu won Maldives’ presidential election last month, beating incumbent President Ibrahim Solih in a second-round runoff.

Solih had followed an “India first” policy but Muizzu in his election campaign promised to remove a small Indian military presence of some 75 personnel in Maldives.

“I will be holding frank and detailed diplomatic consultations with India to work out details of sending back military personnel from the Maldives as soon as possible,” Muizzu, who will take office on Nov. 17, told Reuters in an online interview from Male.

“The focus is not on the actual number of military personnel here, it is on not having any at all in the Maldives. We will discuss with the Indian government and find out a way forward for this.”

Home to about 521,000 people, Maldives is famous for its sun-kissed atolls and luxury tourist resorts.

Rival Asian giants India and China have both invested millions of dollars in infrastructure in the islands as they seek to build influence.

The coalition backing Muizzu is known to be close to China but Muizzu told Reuters he was not pro-China or anti any country.

India has longstanding cultural, financial and security ties with Maldives, and has denied it aims to establish a military presence in the islands.

Muizzu said he will seek details of an agreement signed with India to build a naval harbour for Maldivian forces, to clear up any concerns over Maldivian independence and sovereignty.

“Of course we need development of the naval base and other military training grounds in the country with assistance from different countries but it doesn’t mean there should be a setup in which foreign military presence is required for its operations,” Muizzu told Reuters.

He said he would make it a priority to ensure that his country’s relations with India thrive.

“So I’m sure our friends in the Indian leadership will agree that we have a shared interest in creating a reservoir of respect which will be beneficial not just for the Maldives and India, but also for the stability and security of the Indian Ocean region as well.”

Muizzu also plans to improve ties with China, which has in recent years invested in infrastructure projects as it builds closer ties and pursues its Belt and Road vision of transport and energy networks.

Maldives will engage with India and China, as well as other countries, on growth opportunities including investment in special economic zones Muizzu expects to establish to spur growth and double tourism numbers during his five-year term.

“I’m not pro-China or any country. The Maldives is and will not be anti or pro any country. My government will always be for Maldives. The Maldives will benefit immensely from having strong and vibrant relationships with the advanced economies as well as with emerging economic powers,” he said.

Removing Indian troops was a key campaign pledge by Muizzu, who ousted President Ibrahim Solih last month.

Around 70 Indian military personnel maintain New Delhi-sponsored radar stations and surveillance aircraft. Indian warships help patrol Maldives’ exclusive economic zone.

Muizzu said in the interview he had already begun negotiations with the Indian government on removing its military presence, calling those talks “very successful already.”

“We want a bilateral relationship that’s mutually beneficial,” Muizzu told Bloomberg, adding that Indian soldiers would not be replaced by troops from other countries.

Asking India to remove military personnel in no way indicated “that I’m going to allow China or any other country to bring their military troops here,” he said.

Muizzu’s win extends the tug-of-war between China and India for influence over the Indian Ocean.

Successive governments have tilted either toward India or China. Both Asian powerhouses have invested heavily in upgrading Maldives infrastructure and extended loans, as they compete with each other.

Muizzu, who beat incumbent President Ibrahim Solih in a second-round runoff on Saturday, is backed by a coalition known to be close to China, and championed an “India Out” campaign a few years ago, against a small unit of Indian military.

“All the countries which agree to our pro-Maldives policy will be our close friends and allies,” Muizzu told supporters at Monday’s event.

“We will send back foreign soldiers in the Maldives,” he added, without naming any country.

In the past his party has viewed India’s overwhelming influence as a potential threat to sovereignty and Muizzu accused the South Asian nation of aiming to establish a permanent military presence in the Indian Ocean archipelago.

India, with traditionally close ties to Male, denies that assertion, and is helping to build a naval harbour for Maldivian forces to be trained by its military.

New Delhi will “wait and watch” Muizzu’s policies, a senior Indian government official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“He has to work with us, and we have to work with him,” the official added, emphasising that India was “not anti-Maldives”.

Solih, who championed an “India First” policy, continues in office until Muizzu is inaugurated on Nov. 17.

Opposition candidate Mohamed Muizzu led President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in the first round three weeks ago by 6 percentage points. A poll last week by the local Baani Center think tank showed the incumbent ahead with 30% and Muizzu at 24% but with 36% of voters undecided.

Thousands turned out early at over 586 polling stations across 187 islands known for their sun-kissed beaches and resorts. Maldivians were also voting at polling stations in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Britain and Abu Dhabi.

“Everything is going on as scheduled. There are no issues yet,” Fuwad Thowfeek, the president of the Elections Commission, told Reuters.

Solih, seeking a second five-year term, has championed an “India first” policy. The coalition backing Muizzu has launched an “India out” campaign, promising to remove a small Indian military presence of several surveillance aircraft and some 75 personnel.

Muizzu entered the fray with support from pro-China former President Abdulla Yameen, who was banned from contesting the election by the Supreme Court in August following a conviction for corruption and money laundering.

Home to about 521,000 people, the Maldives is famous for its sun-kissed atolls and luxury tourist resorts but the rival Asian giants have both invested millions of dollars in infrastructure in the islands as they seek to build goodwill and influence.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who promotes close ties with his country’s huge neighbour with an “India-first” policy, appears to be slightly ahead in the polls.

The coalition backing his main rival, Mohamed Muizzu, has a record of being close to China and has launched an “India out” campaign, promising to remove a small Indian military presence of several surveillance aircraft and some 75 personnel.

But for many of the 280,000 eligible voters, the big-power rivalry is not expected to be a major factor when it comes to casting their ballots, said former foreign minister and human rights advocate Ahmed Shaheed.

“Domestically, I do not see that the Indian-China issue is something that’s a pressing issue for voters even though this appears to be a foremost concern for several international observers,” Shaheed told Reuters.

“From the campaigns, it’s clear that the biggest challenge ahead is managing the debt burden,” he said.

The last publicly available data showed that at the end of 2022, the national debt stood at 113% of the country’s gross domestic product of $6.1 billion.

“However, this is not an election that’s boiling down to campaign issues but rather to outbidding each other on promises of handouts,” said Shaheed.

‘First Responder’

A poll of 384 people published last month by the Baani Center think tank found that 21% of respondents favoured Solih compared with 14% for Muizzu. But that indicated a big majority of Maldivians, 53%, were undecided.

Solih had won a landslide victory in 2018 as a joint opposition candidate.

In 2021, Muizzu who represents a coalition of the Progressive Party and the People’s National Congress, won a surprise victory in a vote for mayor of the capital, Male, which at the time was believed to be a stronghold of Solih’s Maldivian Democratic Party.

While India has longstanding cultural, financial and security ties with the Maldives, China has in recent years invested in infrastructure projects as it builds closer ties and pursues its Belt and Road vision of transport and energy networks.

Solih has called India the “first responder in times of crises, and is amongst the loudest supporters in times of good fortune”.

Muizzu’s party says India’s overwhelming influence poses a threat to sovereignty and he accuses India of aiming to establish a permanent military presence in the archipelago.

India, which denies that, is helping to build a naval harbour for Maldivian forces, who will be trained by the Indian military.