Mauritius has signed two agreements with India to secure long-term oil supplies, the country’s oil minister said on Thursday.
The deals include a government-to-government memorandum of understanding on oil and gas cooperation and a sales and purchase agreement with Indian Oil Corporation, the country’s largest state-run refiner. The agreements cover the supply of petrol, diesel and aviation fuel, according to a statement from India’s Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
Hardeep Puri, India’s Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, said Mauritius is the first country outside South Asia to conclude such an arrangement with an Indian public-sector oil company. He did not disclose trade volumes, pricing terms or the duration of the supply contracts.
Mauritius, an Indian Ocean island nation, relies almost entirely on fuel imports to meet domestic demand. The agreements follow disruptions linked to regional conflicts that have weighed on the Mauritian economy, the minister added, without specifying further details.
Indian Oil, which operates refineries and a nationwide fuel distribution network, will serve as the supplier under the sales and purchase agreement. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the commercial terms.
The agreements mark a step in India’s efforts to expand energy partnerships in the Indian Ocean region amid shifting global supply dynamics.
