New Delhi : India will extend its consistent support to Mauritius on the issue of Chagos, EAM Jaishankar announced on Tuesday.
In a joint press statement with Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnaut, EAM Jaishankar said, "On the issue of Chagos, India will continue its consistent support to Mauritius in line with its principal stand on decolonization and support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations".
What is the Chagos issue all about?
The Chagos Archipelago, primarily known as the British Indian Ocean Territory, has been a subject of international legal and political dispute. The islands were detached from Mauritius by the UK in the 1960s, leading to a controversial relocation of the local population, the Chagossians. The largest island, Diego Garcia, hosts a significant U.S. military base, which raises geopolitical concerns, particularly regarding security and sovereignty.
The UN has called for the UK to end its administration of the territory, supporting Mauritius' claim to sovereignty over the archipelago. India has generally supported Mauritius' claims and has shown interest in the region's geopolitical stability, especially given its strategic location in the Indian Ocean. This situation reflects broader themes of decolonization, international law, and geopolitical interests in the Indian Ocean region.
Jaishankar Visit: EAM Jaishankar arrived in Mauritius on Tuesday for a two-day visit for engagements with the top leadership of Mauritius to take forward the special bilateral ties.
The visit to the Indian Ocean island nation marks one of the first bilateral engagements undertaken by Jaishankar following his re-appointment in the 3.0 Modi-led government.
During the joint press statement following his meeting with the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Jaishankar said, "Mauritius is one of the first countries that I am visiting in my current term as External Affairs Minister. It underscores the strength and depth of our bilateral ties. It is also an opportunity to underline India's unwavering commitment to its special and enduring partnership with Mauritius".
"Today, I have had the privilege of calling on the Prime Minister. I conveyed the personal greetings and warm regards of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I also told the Prime Minister that the people of India appreciated very deeply his presence as the Modi government was sworn in for the third time, last month", he added. He informed me that in today's meeting, both sides discussed various aspects of our bilateral ties, including the Development Partnership, Defense and Maritime Corporation, economic and trade ties, and people-to-people linkages.
India's Consistent Support: Jaishankar further stressed India's consistent and continued support to Mauritius in its quest for progress and prosperity. "After all, our ties with Mauritius benefit from four Indian priority foreign policy approaches. You are part of our Neighborhood First Policy, our Vision SAGAR, our Africa Forward Initiative, and our commitment to the Global South. In addition, we share the closest of bonds from history and kinship", the External Affairs Minister said.
He noted that testifying to these deep-rooted ties, President Droupadi Murmu, visited Mauritius this year as the chief guest of Mauritius National Day celebrations.
As announced then, India handed over the first Overseas Citizen of India cards to two excellent specimens of seventh-generation Indian-origin Mauritians. This special carve-out for Mauritius further demonstrates our special and enduring ties.
Multi-Faceted Partnership: Jaishankar said, "Our relationship today has blossomed into a robust and multifaceted partnership. Indeed, it serves as a role model for India's successful development collaboration abroad. The Prime Minister mentioned, and I am privileged to join him tomorrow, in inaugurating the Mediclinic in Grand Bois tomorrow, built with Indian grant assistance, adding to a list of signature projects here. I will also visit another Indian-assisted project, the Civil Service College in Moka, which will be ready for inauguration soon".
"We truly take pride that our collaboration changes the lives of ordinary citizens in this country, through many community development projects, some of which you had the opportunity to see in the video before us. And these today, cover infrastructure in education, healthcare, public amenities and in sports. As you also saw, we have virtually inaugurated 12 of them today, and with this, 37 out of 96 such community projects have become operational in just one year. Eight more, I understand, will be inaugurated in the next two months in Rodrigues and Agalega", he added.
Space Cooperation: Moreover, the discussion between the two sides on space cooperation, which the Prime Minister touched upon, has also been translated into a concrete project with the exchange of the Project Plan Document between India's ISRO and Mauritius MRIC. India looks forward to its early implementation to launch a satellite for Mauritius.
India also handed over the royalty payment cheque of 1.3 million Mauritian rupees towards revenues earned from Mauritian nautical charts produced by the India-Mauritius joint hydrography service. This maritime collaboration is now nearly two decades old and has added value to the multifaceted cooperation.
Honored to call on PM @KumarJugnauth today in Port Louis. Conveyed the warm greetings of PM @narendramodi.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 16, 2024
Took stock of our special and enduring partnership and appreciated its further broadening.
Looking forward to the continued collaboration and strengthening of 🇮🇳-🇲🇺… pic.twitter.com/P9phPhhM9d
