On Thursday, Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Kumar Jugnauth jointly inaugurated several India-assisted development and infrastructural projects. The events took place virtually and were said to be in pursuance of the two countries’ “vibrant development partnership.”
To begin with, the pair participated in the launch of the Social Housing Units Project, which aims to provide affordable housing for the people of Mauritius. Furthermore, the two PMs also participated in a virtual ceremony to lay the foundation stones for a Civil Service College and an 8 MW Solar PV Farm.
According to a press release by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, the solar power project was in furtherance of New Delhi’s One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG) vision, promoted at the India-led International Solar Alliance (ISA) in 2018. This would also assist Mauritius in meeting its climate action goals by avoiding over 13,000 tons of carbon-dioxide emissions.
While giving his speech at the event, PM Modi said that India’s assistance programmes were driven by the “needs and priorities” of its allies, while ensuring respect for the country’s sovereignty. This was a veiled attack on China that has often been accused of forcing countries, including several African nations, into a debt trap in exchange for taking over their development projects in deals that threaten the country’s sovereignty.
He also said that Mauritius was a critical partner of India’s approach to the Indian Ocean. In accordance with India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy, India has initiated several development projects in the African peninsula. It has also improved cooperation with African countries during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing them with essential medical supplies, along with vaccines.
In recent years, India and Mauritius have expanded their development cooperation, with the former leading several assistance projects in the country. For instance, in 2016, India approved a $353 million grant to Mauritius as a Special Economic Package for five infrastructure projects, namely – the Metro Express Project, the Supreme Court building, an ENT hospital, supplying digital tablets to children in primary schools and the Social Housing Units Project. The Metro Express Project and the ENT hospital were inaugurated in 2019. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court building was launched virtually in July 2020. With the start of the housing project on Thursday, all the above-mentioned projects have been implemented.
Moreover, in February 2021, India and Mauritius also signed a free trade agreement that aimed to make the latter a hub for Indian investments. It was the first such partnership agreement signed between India and an African country.
Besides, to develop its security partnership with Mauritius, India provided the island nation with a $100 million line of credit to help them purchase defence hardware. Earlier this week, India also signed a contract with the Government of Mauritius for the export of India-made Advanced Light Helicopters, which will be deployed in the country’s police force.