India and Mauritius on Thursday signed four agreements, including one on setting up a Joint Working Group for combating international terrorism and on enhancing air services between the two countries.
The agreements and the memoranda of understanding were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is in Mauritius on a four-day visit, and his Mauritian counterpart Paul Raymond Berenger.
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The agreement on terrorism envisages creation of a JWG to oversee bilateral cooperation in fighting international terrorism and associated threats like organised crime, illicit trafficking of arms and narcotics and money laundering.
"Mauritius and India have long recognised the threat posed to international peace and security by the spread of international terrorism, both by non-state actors as well as by sponsoring states. Mauritius is one of the few countries in the world to have passed a tough anti-terrorism law which considers even 'moral support' to terrorism as a crime", a statement said.
The MoU on air services agreement provides for "fifth freedom rights" to each other. As per the new arrangements, it would be possible for designated Mauritian airlines to service routes from Mauritius to Delhi or Chennai and beyond to Karachi and Shanghai or Beijing.
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Similarly, the designated Indian airlines would service routes from points in India to Mauritius and beyond to two destinations in South Africa. The designated airlines of Mauritius would also be able to service the Mauritius-Bangalore direct route.
