Africa-Press – Mauritius. The government of Mauritius is grateful to the Government of Japan for its commitment to enhance our country’s capabilities in safeguarding its coastal waters, stated the Prime Minister (PM), Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, this morning at the Marina Quay in Caudan.
He was speaking during the official handing over ceremony of four additional High-Speed Patrol Boats to the National Coast Guard (NCG) of the Government of Mauritius by the Japanese Government.
The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan, Mr Shuichiro Kawaguchi; members of the Diplomatic Corps; and other eminent personalities were also present at the event.
In his address, Prime Minister Jugnauth highlighted that the provision of these four new high-speed boats as well as the two previous ones from Japan inducted in the NCG back in April 2023 is not merely a grant but symbolises the strengthening bonds of friendship and collaboration between Mauritius and Japan.
He observed that Japan is a major development partner of Mauritius in several key sectors such as coastal management maritime security, environmental resilience, and economic development.
The Prime Minister underlined that, under the Economic and Social Development Programme, the Japanese Government extended a grant of ¥300 million to Mauritius for the procurement of maritime security materials so that the NCG is better equipped to safeguard our maritime interests.
These four high speed boats, he pointed out, are equipped with the latest navigational equipment, and will further empower the NCG to effectively ensure, amongst others, the safety of the coastal line, fight drug trafficking and illegal fishing, combat illicit activities, and respond to emergencies around the island.
Furthermore, PM Jugnauth remarked that Government has been working closely with friendly countries like Japan to ensure that Mauritius has the right tools and technology to safeguard the integrity of its sovereign territory.
As such, the Japanese Government is providing a grant for the replacement of NCG’s coastal surveillance radar system and consultants from Japan have already carried out surveys in Mauritius, Rodrigues, St Brandon, and Agalega, he indicated.
Our country, he underscored, is also in the process of acquiring a new offshore patrol vessel from India so as to increase NCG’s surveillance capacity.
For his part, the Japanese Ambassador commended the Mauritian Government for hosting the Third Ministerial Conference on Maritime Security and Safety in the Western Indian Ocean last week.
Mr Kawaguchi also emphasised the imperative of having the appropriate tools so as to safeguard Mauritian waters against any threats through swift responsiveness.
This Japanese donation is likewise a testament to the long and dynamic Mauritius-Japan relationship which is strengthening day by day, he added. High Speed Boats YFR-27
The four High Speed Boats YFR-27 add to the existing fleet of patrol boats of the NCG for undertaking patrol in our lagoons. These state-of-the-art high-speed patrol boats are equipped with the latest navigational equipment and can achieve a maximum speed of some 30 knots.
Being 9.07 metres long and 2.7 metres wide with a carrying capacity of 10 persons, they can be used for defence, interception of high-speed craft, coastal patrol, effective surveillance, anti-smuggling, anti-poaching activities, search and rescue, and fisheries protection.
For More News And Analysis About Mauritius Follow Africa-Press
