NEW DELHI: India announced a special economic package for Mauritius, which included a strong strategic component in the form of in-principle agreements for redevelopment of the port in capital Port Louis and development and surveillance of the Chagos Marine Protected Area, a vast expanse of Indian Ocean that’s home to the US-UK Diego Garcia military base. The announcement followed PM Narendra Modi’s bilateral meeting with his counterpart Navinchandra Ramgoolam in Varanasi.The two countries signed several other agreements aimed at helping Mauritius improve infrastructure and healthcare, augment maritime security and enhance defence preparedness, while allowing India to expand its footprint in Indian Ocean. The projects announced under the package, along with budgetary assistance of $25 million, are together worth $680 million.The PM said both sides will work towards enabling trade in local currencies. Modi also said the projects, based on both grant and grant-cum-line of credit basis, are designed to support Mauritius’ needs and priorities, adding India will advance projects such as the Chagos Marine Protected Area, ATC Tower at the international airport and the expansion of highways and ring roads.”This package is not assistance. It is an investment in our shared future,” said Modi after the meeting, adding Mauritius was not a partner but family for India. The PM also announced signing of an agreement for cooperation in the field of hydrography, saying that over the next five years, the countries will work together on joint surveys, navigation charts, and hydrographic data of the Mauritius EEZ.The Mauritius EEZ has expanded significantly after its recent treaty with the UK established its sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago. Foreign secretary Vikram Misri said India was Mauritius’ preferred partner in the latter’s pursuit of protecting and securing its interests in the region. “It has many more responsibilities now. It needs maritime resources, and to be able to fully develop and exploit those resources, it will need assistance, and India is its preferred partner,” said Misri.India had strongly backed the transfer of Chagos sovereignty to Mauritius through the treaty that also allowed the UK to retain control of Diego Garcia island from where UK and US operate a key military base. Ramgoolam appreciated India’s support, saying, “We want to visit the Chagos Islands, including Diego Garcia, to plant our flag. The British offered us a vessel, but we said we preferred one from India because, symbolically, it would be more meaningful.” Modi also said a free, open, secure, stable, and prosperous Indian Ocean is a shared priority. “In this context, India remains fully committed to strengthening the security of Mauritius’s EEZ and enhancing its maritime capacity,” said the PM, adding India has always stood as the first responder and a net security provider in the Indian Ocean region. The PM congratulated Ramgoolam for the Chagos Agreement, calling it a historic milestone for Mauritius’ sovereignty. “India has always supported decolonisation and the full recognition of Mauritius’ sovereignty,” he said, adding Mauritius was a key part of India’s Neighbourhood First policy and Vision Mahasagar.
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