Visit of INS Tir & ICGS Sarathi
Deck Reception
10 March 2020
Hon. Former Vice President Mr. Abdool Raouf Bundhun,
Hon. Chief Government Whip Ms. Naveena Ramyad,
Commissioner of Police Mr. Karl Mario Nobin,
Officers of the National Coast Guard of Mauritius,
Distinguished Guests,
Friends from the media,
A Happy Holi and a very warm welcome to all of you on board INS Tir and ICGS Sarathi.
Hon’ble Minister for Foreign Affairs had to regret his participation this evening.
It is great to have Captain VZ Job with us, who has the distinction of having served for two years with the National Coast Guard of Mauritius.
It is a matter of great honour for us that like every year an Indian naval contingent, along with a band, was scheduled to participate in the National Day parade and celebrations of the Republic of Mauritius later this week on 12 March. However, due to the scaling down of the celebrations this year, I understand that the Parade will not take place this time.
Many congratulations to our friends from Mauritius on the 52nd Anniversary of their Independence and the 28th Anniversary of their Republic. Mauritius has made remarkable progress in the last five decades as an independent sovereign nation.
Today Mauritius is a leading African nation on several parameters. It is already an upper-middle income country and ranks 13th worldwide in Ease of Doing Business according to the World Bank.
The success story of its economy has been exemplary. It reflects the hard work and harmony of its diverse people and the vision and foresight of its leadership that has overcome all odds and constraints of being an island nation.
Mauritius is a large Ocean State with a huge Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) that holds great potential for its future.
Distinguished guests,
This is an area where India and Mauritius, maritime neighbours across Indian Ocean, have been collaborating with each other.
India has a longstanding maritime trading tradition going back millennia. Today the Indian nation has a coast line of over 7500 km and a very large number of islands. Livelihoods of millions of Indians depend on the ocean economy.
It is essential to tackle the threats of piracy, terrorism, drug trafficking, illegal fishing, illegal dumping of waste, environment pollution such as oil spills, etc. so that the full potential of the blue economy can be developed and utilized in the interest of the people.
The twin interlinked concept of security and prosperity provides the basis for India’s vision for the Indian Ocean region - SAGAR - Security, And Growth for All in the Region - that was articulated by Prime Minister Modi during his visit to Mauritius in 2015.
Distinguished guests,
The two ships that are here today INS Tir and ICGS Sarathi belong to the First Training Squadron of the Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy.
Both of them have been built by Indian Shipyards. INS Tir was built by the Mazagon Dockyard, while ICGS Sarathi was built by Goa Shipyard and was commissioned three years ago. India has around 15 major ports and around 20 shipyards which are engaged in manufacturing naval vessels of various sizes.
ICGS Sarathi was also one of the three ships that had visited Mauritius last March. In fact, both these ships have visited Mauritius on earlier occasions.
Last year in March, after the Indian training ships left Mauritius, they became the first responders to reach Mozambique which had been hit by the severe cyclone Idai. The ships and crew were able to rescue 200 people and provided assistance to around 2000 people in medical camps. Only a month back another Indian naval ship INS Airawat became the first responder for the flood-hit Madagascar. It was later joined by INS Magar with further relief supplies.
I understand that the Indian Navy has around 140 ships of various sizes and capabilities and more than 200 aircraft. The Indian Coast Guard also has around 150 vessels of various sizes and roles. They also have around 50 aircraft to assist them in guarding our coast. The size of the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard reflects the scale of maritime safety and security requirements for India.
This Training Squadron itself has seven ships and trains around 150 Naval Officers every year. This is among the largest such facility in the world. I understand that the two ships here today have around 100 trainee officers on board who will soon complete their training and assume higher responsibilities.
Distinguished guests,
India and Mauritius are not only partnering bilaterally but are also working together in various multilateral settings. This includes the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), which is headquartered in Mauritius. And only last Friday India has joined the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) as an Observer. The IOC Secretariat is also hosted by Mauritius.
Last September, Hon. Minister for Foreign Affairs Bodhaji held discussions with our External Affairs Minister on the sidelines of the 4th Indian Ocean Conference in Male. India has also engaged with the International Conferences on Maritime Security that are organized by Mauritius during the last couple of years. Both our countries are also part of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS), which was presided over by Mauritius till very recently.
We look forward to further strengthening our multifaceted collaboration and partnership with Mauritius.
Distinguished guests,
I understand that on Friday INS Tir and ICGS Sarathi will sail out of Port Louis while conducting some joint exercise with the Mauritian National Coast Guard. I offer my best wishes to all those who will take part in this. Before that the two ships will also welcome visitors on board from Mauritius. This is a practice that we have started for the past one year or so to invite Mauritian students on board visiting Indian ships.
As part of this practice, yesterday, a number of Mauritian students and researchers visited the Research Vessel S.A. Agulhas which was carrying Indian polar researchers who returned over the weekend from their exploratory voyage to the Southern Indian Ocean and the Antarctic, where India has two research stations - Bharati and Maitri.
To conclude, I would like to thank all of you for accepting our invitation this evening. And I once again offer all our Mauritian friends many congratulations on the 52nd anniversary of their Independence Day.
Thank you.
(PDF - 1516.12 KB)May 26 2021.
