Port Louis (Mauritius), March 31
India and Mauritius will set up a joint working group (JWG) for combating international terrorism.
An agreement to this effect was signed here today in the presence of the prime ministers of the two countries, Dr Manmohan Singh and Mr Paul Raymond Berenger.
They also reached an agreement whereby the Export-Import Bank of India would extend a credit of $ 10 million for the construction of a sewerage treatment plant at Baie-du-Tombeau in Mauritius.
They have also signed two memorandums of understanding (MoU) under which air services between the two countries would be further strengthened and they will cooperate with each other in protecting the environment.
The agreement on fighting terrorism outlines some of the collaborative activities that the JWG will adopt, such as sharing of experiences and information and coordination of approaches and methodologies.
The working group is empowered to set up appropriate institutional mechanisms for fulfilling its mandate. Incidentally, Mauritius is one of the few countries to have passed a tough anti-terrorism law which considers even "moral support" to terrorism as a crime.
As per the agreement, the signatory countries will seek to identify international linkages between groups responsible for perpetrating, supporting, funding or sponsoring terrorist activities, particularly against Mauritius or India. They will cooperate with each other by carrying out investigation, arrest, deportation, extradition and prosecution of identified terrorist suspects.
More important, perhaps, the JWG will explore the means to prevent the flow of funds to terrorist networks, especially through non-banking channels.
The MoU on environment protection makes special mention of cooperation aimed at prevention of coastal erosion, lagoon pollution, loss of biodiversity and damage of the reef system keeping in mind the fragile ecologies of small island nations like Mauritius.
Under the MoU on air services, designated Mauritian airlines would be able to service routes from Mauritius to Delhi or Chennai and beyond to Karachi and Shanghai or Beijing. Similarly, the designated Indian airlines would be able to service routes from points in India to Mauritius and beyond to two destinations in South Africa.
Designated airlines from both countries would be able to operate up to 14 weekly flights under the new arrangement.
