EAM offers Mauritius $100 mn credit line for defence equipment

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Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 22

India and Mauritius today signed a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) and a $100 million defence line of credit. India will also gift a Dornier aircraft and an Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv to Mauritius for two years to help shore up its maritime patrolling and monitoring capabilities.

"These initiatives once again underline that the security of Mauritius is the security of India; in the prosperity of Mauritius is our prosperity," said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Port Louis on the second leg of his two-nation visit.

Pact inked

The Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement with Mauritius will help in the revival of post-Covid economies and enable Indian investors to use Mauritius as a launch pad for business expansion into continental Africa — S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister

Jaishankar pointed out that the CECPA with Mauritius, the first such agreement with an African country, would help in the revival of both post-Covid economies and enable Indian investors to use Mauritius as a launch pad for business expansion into continental Africa.

The special $100 million defence line of credit follows a similar $50 million MoU struck with Maldives on Sunday during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's first leg of the visit.

In Mauritius, Jaishankar also handed over one lakh doses of Covid vaccine, besides calling on President of Mauritius Prithvirajsing Roopun, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth and his father Anerood Jugnauth.

"India's helping hand was always over the horizon — responsive, resolute and reliable," said Jaishankar while recalling that India had supplied 23 tonnes of essential medicines, 10 lakh HCQ tablets, a special consignment of Ayurvedic medicines and a 14-member medical assistance team.

The supply of one lakh doses of the vaccine to Mauritius immediately after India rolled out its own vaccination programme "was a clear and telling demonstration of the extraordinary relationship between our countries".

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