Aneerudh Jugnauth is the longest              serving prime minister of Mauritius.              Regarded as a successor to the country’s founder and first prime minister,                       Seewoosagur Ramgulam, he is credited        with being the father of the country’s              economic miracle. Excerpts from a wide-ranging interview with Nilanjan Gupta:

 

How do you view the controversy surrounding the ‘double taxation’ treaty between Mauritius and India?

We have such a treaty not just with India but with many others, especially European countries. There has been no fuss anywhere about it; this is something which helps both countries. We stand to gain, but so does            India, because foreign direct investment is going there. India gets maximum foreign           direct investment from us.

We have sophisticated and up-to-date         laws that govern our financial sectors;           and we intend to have strong supervisory            measures in place to ensure that nothing          illegal takes place. India has nothing to fear. We are collaborating closely with India. It is not in our interest to cause it any harm. When I was in New York, I met your prime minister. We discussed the treaty. I assured him that we are          going to collaborate totally to make sure that nothing unwanted takes place.

But what have been the problems so far?

Well, from our side there has been no problem, but certain matters have been raised. People often react to hearsay. But there has been no proof.

So, what do you think is the solution?

The solution is to keep a watch on both sides. I don’t see a magic solution. All that we can do is to see that everything is done          properly and correctly. People will realise that they have, in fact, no reason to think negatively of this treaty because it is not new. We have it with India, and with many countries. We have had no problems so far with any other country. But it’s not so much the Indian government that has raised          concerns. Some people in the media and elsewhere have done it. I think they must have their own reasons for doing so.

What is so special about the ties between India and Mauritius?

Mauritius and India have a relationship that is more than a friendship. It’s a blood       relationship. More than 50% of Mauritian population is of Indian descent and has            always had a link with India. Our culture and religion are the same. Today Mauritius is what it is, thanks largely to the help of countries like India.

India gains from Mauritius, because we have a lot of bilateral trade. Our imports from India are worth Rs 5 billion annually, whereas we export only goods valued at           Rs 160 million. But India is getting more funds through our financial centre than      they used to.

Will ties between India and Mauritius be           affected if a person of non-Indian origin           becomes prime minister?

All Mauritians are equal. Historically, Mauritius has always had a prime minister of Indian origin. But I do not think this           can go on eternally. Next year, I will become the president of the republic and Mr Birenger (of French origin) the prime           minister. But I do not think this will make any difference.

A cyber city is currently being built in            Mauritius with the help of credit worth            $100 m from India. Why did you think of          getting India to build the cyber city and not France or America?

I went to India and negotiated with            your government for credit. India is well known for having made a lot of progress           in this sector. They are known to be excellent in this field. Therefore, my first choice           was India.

What is Mauritius’s position on the                     militarisation of the Indian Ocean?

We believe that the Indian Ocean should be a zone of peace, and offer free navigational access to all countries. We are interested in        cooperating with        India to monitor its status and see that       it remains a demilitarised zone.

How do you view the US and British as military neighbours in Diego Garcia?

We want the Americans to negotiate with us and not with the British. We are asking the British to revert the island to us, hence recognising our sovereignty. The American military presence in Garcia does not bother us but we would not like to see a nuclear         disaster. During the war with Iraq, the         naval base in Diego Garcia went into action and it was used. Now there is another threat of war with Iraq. It is a fully functional            nuclear base with ICBMs and nuclear arms. That affects us.

Can Mauritius be used as a point for Indian satellite and Antarctic stations and also as an Indian naval base?

Our relationship is very good. We are          co-operating in all fields. There is already       a station here for tracking satellites. We      have always co-operated in expeditions to     the Antarctic. Sometimes even our own          scientists have gone together with the                Indians   and our harbour has always been        at the disposal of Indian ships. You speak           of a naval base. Well, that question has           never arisen.