Modi will seek to tap into the “substantive goodwill” and historical linkages between India and these Indian Ocean economies “which offer new possibilities of cooperation.” Photo: Bloomberg
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to embark on a five-day tour to Seychelles, Mauritius and Sri Lanka on Tuesday to reach out to countries in India’s neighbourhood.
One of the key subjects to be discussed during the tour will be Seychelles and Mauritius joining India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives in maritime defence cooperation, officials told reporters in New Delhi on Monday.
Modi will seek to tap into the “substantive goodwill” and historical linkages between India and these Indian Ocean economies “which offer new possibilities of cooperation,” foreign secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankarsaid.
On the first leg of his visit, Modi will stop in Seychelles, an archipelago of 116 islands, of which 15 are inhabited, Navtej Sarna, secretary (west) in the foreign ministry, told reporters in New Delhi. Modi’s visit will be the first prime ministerial visit to the Seychelles since 1981.
One of Modi’s key engagements will be the handing over of a coastal radar surveillance system, Sarna said, adding that the two countries share a close relationship based on maritime security and development cooperation. Indian and Seychelles navies have engaged in joint training exercises and collaborate in anti-piracy operations, he added.
In Mauritius, on the second leg of Modi’s visit, the prime minister’s chief engagements include attending the 43rd national day functions of the country as well as handing over an offshore patrol vessel. Modi will also visit the Apravasi Ghat, where the first group of Indian indentured labourers landed in boats in Mauritius 180 years ago. Almost 70% of the country’s population is of Indian origin.
India has played a role in Mauritius developing into a financial hub, Sarna said, adding that India was looking at helping Mauritius become an energy hub as well. On the security front, India and Mauritius were collaborating in counter-piracy operations, he said.
On the third and final leg of his tour, Modi will arrive in Sri Lanka on 13 March. Issues on the agenda include finding a solution to the “humanitarian” issue of Indian fishermen against the backdrop of controversial remarks by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghethat reportedly seemed to justify the shooting of Indian fishermen straying into Sri Lankan waters.
Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka will be the first bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister to the island nation since 1987, when Rajiv Gandhi visited Colombo and signed the India-Sri Lanka accord that resulted in Indian peacekeeping troops being stationed on the island nation. Former prime minister Manmohan Singhvisited Colombo in 2008 for a meeting of South Asian heads of state and government.
Jaishankar noted that this would be the fourth high level interaction between India and Sri Lanka since January, when a new government took office in Colombo after elections on 8 January. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisenaand foreign minister Mangala Samaraweerahave already visited New Delhi while Indian foreign minister Sushma Swarajvisited Colombo over the weekend.
Modi’s engagements include a visit to Jaffna, where he will hand over homes built with the help of Indian assistance. Some 20,000 such homes were built in Jaffna—one of the main theatres of war during the three decade long civil conflict that ended in May 2009. The Tamil minority in Sri Lanka regard Jaffna as their cultural capital. The housing project is seen as “a flagship (bilateral) cooperation project” in Sri Lanka. Modi will also be making a visit to Talaimannar—the nearest point of contact between the two countries in north-west Sri Lanka.
Asked about the controversy over Wickremesinghe’s remarks that Indian fishermen may be shot if they intruded into his country’s waters, Jaishankar said Swaraj had taken up the matter with Wickremesinghe during her meeting with him in Colombo on Saturday. “It is recognized that there is a livelihood issue (of fishermen). There is a humanitarian aspect. We expect to sit with Lanka in finding a solution,” Jaishankar said.
Modi will also address the Sri Lankan Parliament during his visit—described by Jaishankar as a “relatively rare honour”—and meet representatives of Sri Lankan political parties including the Tamil National Alliance, viewed at times as a proxy for the Tamil rebels.
Modi will also lay a wreath at the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) Memorial, visit the Mahabodhi society and address Sri Lankan business leaders. Modi will also be travelling to Anuradhapura, a sacred Buddhist city held in great respect by the Sri Lankan Sinhalese majority.
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