A new era of cooperation between India and Mauritius has dawned, says Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday assured Mauritius that India will continue to extend “full support” to it for training and capacity-building when he handed over two Chetak helicopters and the Indian Ocean nation commissioned an Indian-made fast patrol vessel for its Coast Guard.

He met Mauritius Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth, who also holds the defence portfolio, and was the special guest of honour at the event commissioning the water jet attack craft.

Parrikar said the multifaceted bilateral partnership reaches yet another milestone with the commissioning of the CGS Victory and the two Chetak helicopters. In his address at the ceremony, he said this year was marked by renewed vigour in all the different facets of multidimensional relationship.

“A new era of cooperation between India and Mauritius has dawned,” he said.

“We look forward to further intensification of our close ties in the coming years, marked by the implementation of major projects such as the Metro Express, the construction of the new building of the Supreme Court, the headquarters of the National Coast Guard of Mauritius, the construction of the new ENT Hospital, supply of digital tablets to primary school children and the social housing project,” he said.

Parrikar, the first Indian defence minister to visit Mauritius, said as the “geopolitical pivot” shifts from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean, ensuring the safety of “our shared maritime domain would be central to safeguarding the future of humanity.”

“In this regard, the Indian Navy is happy to continue its privileged association with the Coast Guard of Mauritius for shouldering our collective responsibility of securing the waters of the Indian Ocean,” he said.

In their meeting, Parrikar and Jugnauth expressed “deep satisfaction” over defence and security cooperation.

“The Indian government would continue to extend its full support to Mauritius for capacity building as well as supply and maintenance of defence equipment,” Parrikar said.