Prime Minister Narendra Modi went on a two-day visit to Mauritius on Tuesday. On his visit, Modi was awarded Mauritius’ highest honor, ‘The Grand Commander of the Order of Star and Key of the Indian Ocean.’. Earlier, India and Mauritius expanded their relations to the level of ‘Extended Strategic Partnership’ and signed eight agreements to increase cooperation in many areas, including trade and maritime security. At the same time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ambitious vision for the development of the ‘Global South.’. The signed agreements include promoting the use of national currencies for cross-border transactions, sharing maritime data, joint work in combating money laundering, and increasing cooperation in the MSME (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) sector.After talks with his Mauritian counterpart Navinchandra Ramgoolam, PM Modi announced India’s new vision for the ‘Global South’ and named it “Ocean” or “Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.”. This policy vision comes against the backdrop of China’s relentless efforts to expand its influence in the Indian Ocean. He and Ramgoolam agreed that defense cooperation and maritime security are an important part of the strategic partnership between the two countries. In his media statement, the Prime Minister said, “We are committed to extending full cooperation in the security of Mauritius’ Exclusive Economic Zone.” The announcement of the new approach comes 10 years after New Delhi’s announcement of ‘SAGAR,’ which formed the basis for India’s engagement with the Indian Ocean region.Modi said, “Our approach focuses on the spirit of trade for growth, skill development for sustainable progress, and mutual security for a shared future. Under this, cooperation will be ensured through technology sharing, concessional loans, and grants.” The Prime Minister also said that India will cooperate in the construction of the new Parliament building in Mauritius, and it will be a gift to Mauritius from the ‘Mother of Democracy.’. The recent visit has opened new doors for strategic cooperation between the two countries. India, on its part, will provide Mauritius with all possible help in meeting the needs of its coast guard and will assist in setting up a police academy and national maritime information sharing center in the country. The countries also plan to strengthen cooperation on white shipping, the blue economy, and hydrology.India has also been supporting Mauritius’ efforts to reach a mutually beneficial agreement with Britain on the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean. After the independence of Mauritius in 1965, Britain separated the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean from Mauritius. However, Mauritius still claims its right over the island. In October last year, Britain announced its decision to hand over the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after more than half a century under a historic agreement. In his address, Modi said that he and Ramgoolam have decided to “expand” India-Mauritius relations and give it the status of an extended strategic partnership. He said, “We are each other’s partners on the path of economic and social progress. Whether it is a natural disaster or a disaster like the COVID-19 pandemic, we have always supported each other. Be it defense or education, health or space, we are walking shoulder to shoulder in every field. In the last 10 years, we have added many new dimensions to our relations. We have set new benchmarks in development cooperation and skill development.”He also mentioned various projects assisted by India in Mauritius, including “Metro Express for speed in Mauritius, Supreme Court building for justice, social housing for better housing, ENT hospital for good health, ‘UPI’ (Unified Payment Interface) to promote trade and tourism.Talking on this topic, Mir Parvez, a professor of international relations at JNU, said, “Stronger ties between the countries will help India have firm control over the Indian Ocean amidst the constant threat of usurping India’s power in the Indian Ocean. An independent, free, secure, and protected Indian Ocean should be the shared priority of India and Mauritius. Promoting the use of national currencies for cross-border transactions will make the Indian rupee stronger. Cooperation on various other fronts, such as money laundering and MSME, will be beneficial for the economic development of both nations.”.
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