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Indian Navy Personnel Train Mauritius Coast Guard Troops Amid Growing Maritime Ties

India has expanded its efforts to increase its influence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), particularly among island sovereign states after its bitter rift with the Maldives in recent months. Bolstering its relations with Mauritius could well be part of this game plan.
Sputnik
A batch of Indian Navy personnel visited the island country to train Mauritius Coast Guard servicemen in various combat skills, including the usage of small arms and deployment of fire-fighting equipment, the South Asian sovereign state's blue water force said in a statement on Friday.
Interestingly, it was the maiden occasion when India sent its First Training Squadron (1TS), featuring two warships INS Tir and CGS Sarathi for a cross-training exercise to Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius.

"As part of cross training visit, the National Coast Guard personnel of Mauritius were imparted training on small arms and firefighting onboard 1TS ships," a statement from the Navy read.

Earlier this week, a contingent from the Indian Navy and a military chopper took part in the parade held to mark the National Day of Mauritius, which was attended by India's President Droupadi Murmu as the chief guest.
India's thrust on having strong relations with Mauritius has surged in recent months, especially after Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu asked the Indian government to pull out its military personnel from the archipelago amid Male's growing defense cooperation with another Asian giant China.
Sputnik Opinion
Mauritius Plays Key Role for Delhi in Indian Ocean Region Amid Row With Maldives
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