The small, remote Mauritian island of North Agalega, located in the southwest Indian Ocean 1,122 kilometers north of the main island of Mauritius, is currently seeing a frenzy of development activity. On February 29, Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated a jetty and an aviation strip on … Read more
In response to threats to maritime shipping in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) – particularly stepped-up attacks on civilian vessels from the Houthis in Yemen – the Indian Navy (IN) has deployed a force comparable to the U.S.-led Operation Prosperity Guardian. Operating under national authority, ten or more IN ships with reconnaissance aircraft now patrol … Read more
New Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu appeared to have a successful visit to China last week. Breaking the tradition of a new Maldivian president making his first trip to India, Muizzu went to Turkey for his first official visit, followed by the United Arab Emirates for the U.N. climate change meeting, COP28. On the sidelines, Muizzu … Read more
Advertisement Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Maldives this week to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation came at a critical juncture, with the island country planning to hold general elections in September 2023. Singh’s trip was preceded by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit in January, where he emphasized India and Maldives’ shared responsibility for … Read more