The Maldives government has written to India seeking the renewal of a 2019 memorandum of understanding (MoU) to train 1,000 bureaucrats in India over the next five years. The MoU, one of the key agreements signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi s visit to the Maldives in June 2019, is set to expire this month. Despite recent friction in diplomatic ties, the Maldives has requested the renewal of the MoU, highlighting the successful training programs for Maldivian civil servants conducted by India. The move comes as the Maldives has leaned towards China and called for India to withdraw its troops.