Mauritius to import petroleum products from India under G2G deal: Mauritius FM

New Delhi, Mar 6 (PTI) Mauritius will soon start importing petroleum products from India under a government-to-government (G2G) arrangement, Mauritius Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful said on Friday.

"In the past, we did have a similar arrangement with the Indian government, involving Mangalore oil refinery. So it was a G to G government, 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 PTI Videos.

Mauritius relies entirely on imported petroleum products, with refined petroleum imports totalling approximately USD 1.3 billion annually.

"We are also thinking that probably we can purchase the petrol in rupees, and that would make it even more attractive for Mauritius," the minister underlined.

Ramful pointed out that the ongoing crisis in the Middle East will significantly affect countries heavily reliant on petroleum imports.

"It's going to 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 deepening ties in the areas of maritime security, white shipping information sharing and artificial intelligence with India. PTI RK MPL MPL