Island interlude: PM's visit upgrades strategic ties with Mauritius

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Mauritius marks a robust reiteration of a long-standing cordial relationship at a time of considerable flux in the western Indian Ocean Region, an area of strategic priority for India. By inviting Mr Modi as chief guest for the country’s National Day celebrations on March 12, newly elected Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam has signalled a desire to deepen trade and infrastructure ties with New Delhi. Though the visit, Mr Modi’s second since 2015, saw the signing of over 20 India-funded projects covering health, education, and culture, it is the discussions on defence and maritime security cooperation that would have played a role in reassuring Mauritius, where nearly 70 per cent of the population is of Indian origin, of New Delhi’s continuing engagement in its security and prosperity.

 

The visit takes place against the backdrop of key geopolitical developments in the region. In October last year, Britain, the former colonial power, agreed to the sovereignty transfer of the Chagos archipelago, located to the north between Seychelles and Maldives, to Mauritius, on condition that the United States and the United Kingdom retain the military base on nearby Diego Garcia. The details of the deal are yet to be finalised but India has publicly supported Mauritius’ sovereignty over Chagos, for which Mr Ramgoolam thanked Mr Modi. Under India’s Vision SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region), India has been assisting Mauritius in patrolling its waters and has contributed to the construction of a naval dockyard in Mauritius. India is also deepening cooperation towards Mauritius’ exclusive economic zone by developing infrastructure on the Agalega Islands, north of the Mauritius mainland, and continues to supply defence equipment on favourable credit terms. Statements during Mr Modi’s visit on a shared commitment to ensure a “free, open, safe and secure Indian Ocean Region” and to work closely in countering maritime challenges and safeguarding the larger strategic interests in the region underline the charter of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC), adopted in October last year. The CSC members comprise India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Mauritius (the latter signing on in 2022), with the goal of countering terrorism, trafficking, transnational organised crime, disaster relief, and cyber security.

 

Despite traditional economic ties with Mauritius — which remains, thanks to a double tax avoidance agreement, India’s largest source of foreign direct investment after Singapore — China remains the geo-strategic challenge for India. It is worth noting, for example, that China was said to be eyeing Chagos as a strategic base. In 2019, Beijing signed a free-trade agreement with Mauritius, which came into force in 2021, and set up a Chinese renminbi clearance centre at the Bank of Mauritius (BoM) in December 2022. As a counter, India and Mauritius signed the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) on February 22, 2021. It is the first trade agreement signed by India with an African country and offers Indian businesses a gateway for trade and business opportunities offered on that continent. The conspicuously warm welcome and the accolades heaped on Mr Modi on his two-day visit to the island-nation are being seen as a balancing act of sorts by Mr Ramgoolam, who led his coalition to a commanding electoral victory in November last year and had called for closer ties with China in January this year. As the optics of this visit indicated, India and Mauritius have undoubtedly upgraded their strategic ties.