Committed to ensuring safety, security of sea lanes: India to Mauritius

Port Louis: As three Indian naval ships docked here, India Sunday told Mauritius that it is committed to ensuring the safety and security of the Indian Ocean sea lanes in cooperation with the island nation in order to safeguard their common national interests.

Visiting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, speaking at the reception onboard the ships of the Western Naval Fleet here, said the three ships - AINS Mumbai, Deepak and Talwar - have been deployed to Mauritius in order to "qualitatively enhance our long standing and multi-faceted cooperation in ensuring peace, stability and maritime security in the Indian Ocean region".

"Maritime security is of vital significance for an island nation like Mauritius as well as for a country with a vast coastline like India. A large part of our trade passes through the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean. Safety and security of the sea-lanes is thus indispensible for our territorial, economic and energy security," she said.

"The Indian Navy is committed to ensuring the safety and security of these sea-lanes in cooperation with the National Coast Guard of Mauritius. This is important for safeguarding our common national interests".

She said the presence of the Indian Navy ships on the occasion of the 180th anniversary of Aapravasi Diwas will "qualitatively enhance our long standing and multi-faceted cooperation in ensuring peace, stability and maritime security in the Indian Ocean region".

She also hoped that it would "go a long way in further strengthening our deep-rooted cooperation and that our friendship, including in defence sector, will grow from strength to strength in times to come".

Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag and Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam were also present on the occasion.