New Delhi, March 6 Mauritius will soon begin importing petroleum products from India under a government-to-government (G2G) arrangement, Mauritius Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful said on Friday.
"In the past, we had a similar arrangement with the Indian government, involving the Mangalore oil refinery. So it was a G to G arrangement, and we were getting a continuous supply of petrol at a relatively cheap price, and we are expecting a similar arrangement with the Indian government," Ramful told
Mauritius relies entirely on imported petroleum products, with refined petroleum imports totaling approximately USD 1.3 billion annually.
"We are also considering the possibility of purchasing petrol in rupees, which would make it even more attractive for Mauritius," the minister emphasized.
Ramful pointed out that the ongoing crisis in the Middle East will significantly affect countries heavily reliant on petroleum imports.
"It will have a wide impact on small, vulnerable economies like Mauritius. There are other impacts as well, for example, on the tourism sector and food supply," the minister added.
Mauritius has also been strengthening ties in the areas of maritime security, information sharing on white shipping, and artificial intelligence with India.