India, Mauritius deepen maritime ties with focus on EEZ surveillance, coast guarding

New Delhi: India is looking to deepen its maritime partnership with Mauritius by expanding cooperation in surveillance, capacity building and operational coordination across the Indian Ocean. The effort comes during Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, the chief of the naval staff four-day official visit to the island nation from August 10 to 13.

Adm Swaminathan held discussions with senior Mauritian officials during the visit, including the Mauritius Police Force commissioner, Rampersad Sooroojebally, and the country’s secretary for home and defence affairs, Kan Oye Fong Weng-Poorun. He also met India’s high commissioner to Mauritius, Anurag Srivastava, as the two sides reviewed areas of mutual interest in maritime security and defence.

A major focus of the engagement is strengthening the Mauritius National Coast Guard, particularly through capacity-building and closer operational cooperation with the Indian Navy. The two sides are also looking to enhance joint surveillance of Mauritius’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and develop stronger links between their maritime forces, the Indian Navy said in a post on X.

The visit is part of India’s wider effort to build stronger maritime partnerships with countries in the Indian Ocean and improve regional coordination. Mauritius, with its location in the western Indian Ocean, has remained an important partner in India’s maritime outreach and security cooperation.

India and Mauritius have developed regular operational engagement through training exchanges, port visits, hydrographic surveys and joint EEZ surveillance. Mauritius has also participated in major Indian maritime initiatives, including the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), Milan, the International Fleet Review, Goa Maritime Conclave, IOS Sagar and Exercise Aikeyne.

Adm Swaminathan’s current visit is also significant as it is his first trip to Mauritius since taking charge as the 27th the chief of the naval staff on May 31. The engagement is expected to provide further momentum to bilateral defence cooperation and strengthen working-level coordination between the two countries, according to RNA Media.

The naval relationship that exists between the two nations has developed because of years of collaboration and has gone past the stage of being purely naval. Mauritius gets an opportunity to develop its maritime monitoring capabilities through the relationship, while India benefits from having a partner in the Indian Ocean.

The two sides are also aligning their maritime engagement with India’s Mahasagar (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision. The framework seeks to promote security, growth and closer cooperation among countries across the Indian Ocean and the wider region.

India and Mauritius have described their maritime relationship as an enduring partnership founded on mutual trust and a shared interest in regional stability. The latest visit is expected to further consolidate that partnership while expanding practical cooperation between the two countries’ maritime forces.