The defence minister will be handing over two fast interceptor boats and 44 SUVs for use by the Mozambique armed forces. Rajnath Singh will be in Mozambique from July 28-30 and will have meetings with the President, Defence Minister, Foreign Minister and Interior Minister during the three-day visit

by Manu Pubby

NEW DELHI: In his first overseas visit as the Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh will be taking forward the SAGAR initiative in the Indian Ocean Region with the signing of three critical agreements with the strategically located nation of Mozambique.

The defence minister will be handing over two fast interceptor boats and 44 SUVs for use by the Mozambique armed forces, the latest in a series of steps taken by India to augment the operational capabilities of partners in the region.

Rajnath Singh will be in Mozambique from July 28-30 and will have meetings with the President, Defence Minister, Foreign Minister and Interior Minister during the three-day visit. The three agreements that are to be signed during the visit are in line with the Security And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) initiative announced first by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that is central to India’s foreign policy.

The agreement includes sharing of white shipping information – data that will be useful for India that has created a network of radars and similar agreements with friendly nations in the region to get a complete real time picture of shipping movements.

Another agreement to share hydrography information will leverage India’s significant capabilities in this field, which have been used in the past to help neighbouring nations like Sri Lanka, Maldives and Mauritius.

The third agreement will be on surveillance of the extensive exclusive economic zone of the African nation. Details are not yet known but India assists nations like Maldives in surveillance of these vast zones with the deployment of Dornier aircraft and patrol boats. Such arrangements in the past have helped crack down on piracy in the region as well.

“It may be recalled that bilateral relations between India and Mozambique are seeing further improvement, following the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to this African country in July 2016,” the defence ministry spokesperson said.

The defence minister will be accompanied Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra and senior officials of the Ministry of Defence and External Affairs for the visit.