Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 11:48am on 17 Jan 2024,Wednesday International
Maldives, led by pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu, has inked an agreement with a Turkish firm to purchase military drones, allocating $37 million from the state's contingency budget. The move comes shortly after urging India to withdraw its troops by March 15. The Indian Ocean's exclusive economic zone, traditionally patrolled jointly by India and Maldives, witnesses a shift in dynamics. Muizzu, in power since November 2023, has signaled a shift away from India, visiting Turkey and China. The strategic location of Maldives intensifies the longstanding competition for influence between India and China.
