India looking forward to engage with incoming Maldivian govt: Bagchi

New Delhi: India on Thursday said it was looking forward to engaging “constructively” with the incoming administration of Maldivian President-elect Mohamed Muizzu, days after he said moving the Indian military personnel out of the island nation was one of his top priorities.

In a media interview, Muizzu said he would request New Delhi to withdraw its personnel and that he hopes to see the back of the troops, if possible, in the first week itself of his presidency.

Widely seen as a pro-China leader, Muizzu is set to take charge as the Maldivian President on November 17.

When asked about the Maldivian President-elect’s comments on evicting the Indian military personnel, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi did not give a direct reply.

“Our cooperation with Maldives is based on jointly addressing shared challenges and priorities,” he said.

In an interview with Al Jazeera television, Muizzu said he personally raised the matter of withdrawal of the military personnel with the Indian High Commissioner to Male recently. Bagchi said India was looking forward to “constructively engaging with the incoming administration and discussing ways to enhance our relationship further”.

He said the assistance and platforms that India provided to the Maldives have contributed significantly in areas like people’s welfare, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and combating illegal maritime activities.

“Over the last five years, more than 500 medical evacuations have been carried out by our personnel, saving 523 Maldivian lives,” he said.