India enters 'long-term arrangement' with Mauritius to supply petrol, diesel and aviation fuel

India has inked a long-term agreement with Mauritius to supply petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel, bolstering the island nation's energy security amid ongoing turmoil in the West Asia region, the Mauritian government announced on Thursday. The agreements were inked during a visit to Mauritius by Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Puri, who signed a government-to-government memorandum of understanding on oil and gas cooperation, along with a sales and purchase agreement with Indian Oil Corporation.

Specific volumes and financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed yet. This arrangement marks the first instance of Mauritius, a non-South Asian country, signing such a pact with an Indian public-sector oil company. The deal is a continuation of talks initiated earlier this year, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stating during a visit to Mauritius in April that India was finalizing a government-to-government agreement for oil and gas supply to bolster Mauritius' energy security.

Jaishankar attributed the significance of this partnership to the West Asia crisis, which has caused disruptions in global oil shipments and led to rising crude prices around the Strait of Hormuz. Beyond this energy deal, India and Mauritius are further strengthening their ties in various sectors, including renewable energy, where the Indian public-sector enterprise is developing Mauritius' first floating solar power project, and maritime cooperation.