Jaishankar Reaches Out To Delhi’s Indian Ocean Partners

India in recent years has stepped up strategic outreach to its Indian Ocean partners. Both the Maldives and Mauritius have been key in pursuing India’s maritime security agenda. Thus, it was not a surprise that Indian Foreign Minister Dr. S Jaishankar went on a four-day visit to the Maldives and Mauritius February 20-23. The minister held high-level meetings in both countries, including with the defense and foreign ministers, underlining the strategic intent of the trip. Following his meeting with the Maldivian defense minister, Jaishankar tweeted that “India will always be a reliable security partner for Maldives.” He had a similar message on India’s ties with Mauritius, saying “Partners in security.” Extending defense lines of credit and maritime security were dominant in the discussions in both countries. Read More…