Admiral Krishna Swaminathan Holds Talks in Mauritius to Boost Maritime Security Cooperation

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, currently on an official visit to Mauritius, has held a series of meetings with Indian and Mauritian officials aimed at advancing maritime security cooperation and expanding operational coordination between the two countries.

The visit focused on deepening the India-Mauritius maritime partnership, with particular attention on strengthening the capabilities of the Mauritius National Coast Guard, improving joint Exclusive Economic Zone surveillance, and building closer operational linkages between the Indian Navy and Mauritius’ maritime forces.

During his engagements in Mauritius, Admiral Swaminathan met Shri Anurag Srivastava, High Commissioner of India to Mauritius; Mr Rampersad Sooroojebally, Commissioner of Police, Mauritius Police Force; and Mrs Kan Oye Fong Weng-Poorun, Secretary for Home and Defence Affairs, Government of Mauritius.

A major theme of the discussions was maritime security cooperation. India and Mauritius examined ways to further reinforce collaboration in this area, especially through capacity building for the Mauritius National Coast Guard. Such support remains an important pillar of New Delhi’s engagement with Indian Ocean partners, where enhancing local maritime capability is closely tied to wider regional security.

Joint surveillance of the Exclusive Economic Zone also figured prominently in the talks. Cooperation in EEZ monitoring helps improve maritime domain awareness and strengthens the ability of both sides to track, assess and respond to activity in their maritime areas. For island nations such as Mauritius, as well as for India’s wider Indian Ocean security interests, such coordination is an important operational tool.

The engagements also reviewed opportunities to broaden operational-level interaction between the Indian Navy and Mauritian maritime agencies. Greater coordination between the two sides is expected to improve interoperability, facilitate information sharing and support more effective responses to emerging maritime security challenges.

India and Mauritius have long maintained a close maritime relationship shaped by mutual trust, historical links, geographic proximity and shared interests in preserving peace and stability in the Indian Ocean Region. The latest discussions built on that established foundation while identifying practical areas where cooperation can be expanded further.

The visit also reflected India’s wider regional approach to maritime engagement, which places emphasis on capacity development, operational cooperation and collective security. According to the themes discussed during Admiral Swaminathan’s meetings, the effort is directed not only at bilateral coordination but also at supporting a secure and stable maritime environment across the broader Indian Ocean.

The engagements were also in line with the vision of MAHASAGAR — Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions — which advocates stronger partnerships, sustainable growth and collective security among countries in the Indian Ocean Region.

Through the current visit, India has reiterated its intent to work closely with friendly regional partners such as Mauritius on maritime capability development and security cooperation. Admiral Krishna Swaminathan’s discussions are expected to further consolidate bilateral defence ties and create additional avenues for collaboration in maritime security, operational coordination and regional stability.