Maldives seeks scaling back of Indian presence
The Maldives wants India to withdraw military helicopters and personnel posted there following the expiry of an agreement in June, its envoy said, the latest snub to New Delhi by President Abdulla Yameen's China-backed government.
India and China are going head to head in the Maldives, the Indian Ocean island chain where Beijing is building roads, bridges and a bigger airport, upstaging India which has been the country's prime provider of military and civilian aid for decades.
India has opposed Yameen's crackdown on political rivals and the imposition of an emergency this year and some of the president's rivals have called on New Delhi for military intervention, creating worries in the Maldivian government.
The tensions are impacting aid programmes such as security assistance that New Delhi has given to smaller countries in the region to help them protect exclusive economic zones, carry out surveys and combat piracy.
China has rapidly built ties with the tropical island chain as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. It says it is opposed to any country interfering in the internal affairs of the Maldives.
The Maldives' ambassador in India, Ahmed Mohamed, told Reuters that two military helicopters provided by India were mainly used for medical evacuations but were no longer required as the islands had built up enough resources of its own.
However, India and the Maldives are still conducting joint patrols in the islands' exclusive economic zone every month, Mohamed said.
Along with the helicopters, India had stationed around 50 military personnel, including pilots and their visas had expired. But New Delhi has not yet withdrawn them from the island chain.
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