Thursday, March 31 2005 16:15 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Port Louis: India and Mauritius today (Mar 31, 2005) signed four agreements, including one on setting up a Joint Working Group for combating international terrorism and on enhancing air services between the two countries.

The agreements and the memorandum of understandings (MoUs) were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is in Mauritius on a four-day visit, and his Mauritian counterpart Paul Reymond Berenger.

The agreement on terrorism envisages creation of a Joint Working Group (JWG) to oversee bilateral cooperation in fighting international terrorism and associated threats like organised crime, illicit trafficking of arms and narcotics, money laundering.

"Mauritius and India have long recognised the threat posed to international peace and security by the spread of international terrorism, both by non-State actors as well as by sponsoring States. Mauritius is one of the few countries in the world to have passed a tough anti-terrorism law, which considers even 'moral support' to terrorism as a crime", a statement said.

The MoU on air services agreement provides for "fifth freedom rights" to each other. As per the new arrangements, it would be possible for designated Mauritian airlines to service routes from Mauritius to Delhi or Chennai and beyond to Karachi and Shanghai or Beijing.

Similarly, the designated Indian airlines would service routes from points in India to Mauritius and beyond to two destinations in South Africa. The designated airlines of Mauritius would also be able to service the Mauritius- Bangalore direct route.

Designated airlines from both countries would be able to operate upto 14 weekly flights under the new arrangements.

This would generate positive spin off by improving air connectivity between the two countries, the statement said.

Under the agreement on combating terrorism, both India and Mauritius will cooperate with each other by carrying out investigation, arrest, deportation, extradition and prosecution of identified terrorist groups.

The JWG would explore the means to prevent the flow of funds to terrorist networks, especially through non-banking channels and will also seek to deny access of terrorist groups to arms, explosives or radioactive substances.

According to the agreement, the Ministry of External Affairs on the Indian side and the Prime Minister's Office on the Mauritian side are the respective nodal agencies and would involve representatives from other agencies and organisations from each side. The JWG would meet at least once every year alternately in India and Mauritius.

Both sides also signed a MoU on cooperation in environment protection and an agreement for a $ 10 million credit line by EXIM Bank to Mauritius Government or construction of a sewerage in Baie-du-Tombeau.

The MoU on environment protection envisages creation of an Indo-Mauritius Working Group that would meet alternately in both countries for considering concrete activities and programmes. Some of the subjects identified were pollution control and wastewater treatment, environmental legislation and its enforcement.