Last Indian troops leave Maldives at leader's request

India has replaced 80 soldiers on the Maldives with civilians after a demand by President Mohamed Muizzu who has pivoted the archipelago's ties towards China, officials in New Delhi say.

The Indian troops supported two helicopters and an aircraft that were given by India and mainly used for marine surveillance, search-and-rescue and medical evacuation operations on the islands of about half a million people.

"Both sides have been working together to ensure continued operation of Indian aviation platforms," India's foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said.

"Accordingly, deputation of competent Indian technical personnel has taken place."

The announcement coincided with a visit by Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer to India, the first visit by a senior official since Muizzu took office in November last year.

Maldivian leaders traditionally made New Delhi their first port of call after coming to office but Muizzu has courted China instead and deepened defence ties as global powers jostle for influence in the region.

At a meeting with Zameer, India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said that it was in both countries' common interest to understand how best to take ties forward

Zameer said afterwards on X that talks centred on co-operation in fields from infrastructure to capacity building.

Apart from the troops issue, the Maldives' permission to a Chinese research vessel to dock at its port, in India's backyard, has also caused concern in New Delhi.

India opened a new naval base near the Maldives in March to enhance surveillance in the Indian Ocean.

But despite the strains, its development projects in the Maldives have in fact gained pace.