Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Gaël Rangain
Published on 2024-03-01 08:00:31
The agreement between India and Mauritius adheres to the principles of mutual benefit and strict respect for the sacrosanct principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth maintains that there has never been any discussion of a military base in Agalega. “There has never been a project to turn Agalega into a military base,” he asserted yesterday during his speech at the inauguration ceremony of the new infrastructure in the archipelago, including the new airstrip and jetty, in the presence of his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, via video conference.
The Prime Minister explained that India’s assistance was sought and a memorandum of understanding was signed between the two countries during Narendra Modi’s visit to Mauritius in March 2015. “This memorandum of understanding reflects India’s commitment to continuously assist Mauritius in achieving its development goals. It adheres to the principles of mutual benefit and strict respect for the sacrosanct principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he reassured on this solemn occasion. Pravind Jugnauth emphasized that there has never been a project for Mauritius to relinquish its sovereignty over the islands of Agalega, “as some ill-intentioned individuals inside and outside of Mauritius have tried to make people believe.” He deplored and condemned what he referred to as a smear campaign against India orchestrated by some. “I want to clarify that the agreement between Mauritius and India regarding the new airstrip and jetty in Agalega is primarily aimed at helping us modernize and strengthen our maritime security,” he added.
He stated that the new facilities will provide the necessary logistical platforms for more effective surveillance and control of the vast Exclusive Economic Zone covering an area of 2.3 million square kilometers. “We will now be better positioned to launch actions against piracy, terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing,” he added. “Today, we are writing history on the islands of Agalega with the inauguration of the new airstrip, jetty, and several other development projects. This event marks another great moment in the remarkable and exemplary partnership between Mauritius and India,” he said, expressing his gratitude to Narendra Modi for bringing a whole new dimension to the Mauritius-India relationship and partnership.
The Prime Minister also announced that thanks to the Indian Prime Minister, Mauritius had become the first country to adopt the Jan Aushadi Scheme, a program that allows Mauritius to procure about 250 high-quality medicines from the Indian Bureau of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices. This initiative will ensure access to quality Indian medicines for the population, especially the most vulnerable. Pravind Jugnauth emphasized that his government has a vision to lead development in every part of the territory. “For too long, the Agalega archipelago has been relegated to the status of a neglected child, and its infrastructure development needs have received little attention from the central government,” he noted.
He mentioned that the old airstrip was built in the early 1980s and had deteriorated over the years with serious risks for both the Dornier aircraft and its passengers and crew. “Since 2003, several attempts have been made to modernize the airstrip, but nothing concrete has materialized. The situation for maritime access to Agalega was also very limited due to the lack of infrastructure and facilities,” he conceded. He added that Mauritius also needed to meet the growing needs of strengthening its capacities to ensure better surveillance and increased monitoring of its vast exclusive economic zone. He reiterated that these new infrastructure would be of paramount importance for emergency responses, including search and rescue, marine pollution, and humanitarian aid.
Narendra Modi: “Happy to have honored the commitment I made” The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, expressed his happiness at fulfilling the promise he had made to the people of Agalega in 2015. “I am happy to have honored the commitment I made in 2015 for Agalega to materialize. These days, this is what is called Modi ki Guarantee in India,” he said live from New Delhi, via video conference. He participated in the ceremonial launch of the new infrastructure, financed by the Great Peninsula. He stated that these new facilities would improve the quality of life for residents, especially in terms of medical evacuations and transportation for schoolchildren.
Narendra Modi praised the dynamic, strong, and unique partnership between Mauritius and India, noting that this was indeed his fifth meeting with his Mauritian counterpart, Pravind Jugnauth, in the last six months. He emphasized that Mauritius is a key partner in the “Neighbourhood First” policy as well as in the Vision Sagar framework. “New heights of mutual cooperation have been reached in the relations between India and Mauritius,” he said. The Indian Prime Minister declared that development partnerships had been the pillars of cooperation between the two countries and that India’s support was based on Mauritius’ priorities, whether in terms of security in the exclusive economic zone or health security. “India has always respected Mauritius’ needs and has always been there for its friend, Mauritius,” reiterated Narendra Modi, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic or the oil spill.
He emphasized that India’s primary goal was to bring positive change to the Mauritian people, noting that over the past ten years, India had granted lines of credit of $1 billion and aid of $400 million to the Mauritian people. He mentioned India’s cooperation in the development of the Metro Express, community development projects, social housing construction program, ENT hospital, Civil Service College, sports complex, and other infrastructure projects. Referring to the traditional and non-traditional challenges in the Indian Ocean region affecting both economies, Narendra Modi stated that India and Mauritius were natural partners in maritime security. “We are actively working to ensure security, prosperity, and stability in the Indian Ocean region. We cooperate in all areas such as surveillance of the exclusive economic zone, joint patrols, hydrography, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief,” he said.
He maintained that the inauguration of the airstrip and jetty in Agalega would advance cooperation between the two countries while strengthening the blue economy of Mauritius. Narendra Modi also mentioned that Mauritius would become the first country to join the Indian Jan Aushadhi initiative, which would benefit the Mauritian people by providing high-quality generic medicines manufactured in India. He congratulated his Mauritian counterpart for his “visionary leadership.” He expressed confidence that the relations between India and Mauritius would further progress in the future.
Aadil Ameer Meea: “It is comforting that there will be no military base and that Mauritius will retain its territorial sovereignty over Agalega. This is a good thing, but we continue to demand that this agreement between Mauritius and India be made public if there is nothing to hide. “We want transparency. The agreement will shed more light on the details of this agreement…”.
Read the original article(French) on Le Mauricien
