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India’s government has agreed to withdraw its soldiers from the Maldives, the Indian Ocean archipelago’s President Mohamed Muizzu said on Sunday, following engagements on the sidelines of the COP28 with top Indian officials.

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

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday drew parallels with the past as the grand old party was drubbed by the BJP in the heartland states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan.

Reflecting on the outcome, Ramesh in a social media post said, "Exactly 20 years ago, the Indian National Congress had lost the state elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, while winning only Delhi. But within a few months, the party bounced back and went on to emerge as the single largest party in the Lok Sabha polls and formed the government at the Centre."

India and the Maldives are in discussions on the continued operation of aircraft provided by New Delhi to the Indian Ocean archipelago, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday after Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu said the Indian government has agreed to withdraw military personnel from his country.

Two advanced light helicopters (ALH) and a Dornier aircraft provided by India in recent years have been extensively used for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in the Maldives, especially for ferrying people in medical emergencies from outlying islands to better medical facilities. Muizzu, who is seen as pro-China, has been demanding the withdrawal of all Indian military personnel, including those who operate the aircraft.

Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag-Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) ENC said that Eastern Naval Command (ENC) is likely to induct 20 to 25 new warships by 2037. These include the Nilgiri class frigates, Next Generation Corvettes, Diving Support Vessels, Survey Vessels, Anti-Submarine Warfare shallow watercrafts, Nuclear submarines, multi-role MH 60R Helicopters, upgraded anti- submarine Kamov 28 Helicopters, and Medium lift C-295 aircraft.

He said that the first of the Survey Vessels, Sandhayak is likely to be commissioned early next year. The diving support vessels for the Indian Navy are being built by the Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) at Visakhapatnam. The shipyard has also been contracted to build five Fleet Support Ships, which is a major project that will enhance the Indian Navy’s blue-water capabilities.

India has proposed to host COP33 in 2028, announced Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address at the first high-level segment at the 28th UN Climate Summit (COP28) in Dubai on Friday. The year’s biggest conference began on Thursday with hundreds of world leaders gathering to hold crucial climate talks.

Terming it as “a pivotal platform for global climate action”, PM Modi said the decision on Loss and Damage Fund taken on Day One has given the world hope, and the first-ever Global Stocktake (GST) during the next two weeks at COP28 will show the world a path towards a secure future.