Context:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth of Mauritius jointly inaugurated an airstrip and a jetty that India has built on Agaléga, a two-island Mauritian dependency 1,100 km to the north of Port Louis and 2,500 km southwest of Malé.

Key details

• The new airstrip and St. James Jetty in the country's outer Agaléga Island, located 650 km away from the main Mauritius island.

• The airstrip was extended from 1,300 metres to 3,000 metres to accommodate larger aircraft, while St James Jetty was expanded from 80 metres to 255 metres.

Significance of the move

• Effective regulations: It will enhance the country’s ability to monitor its large exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and to counter piracy, terrorism and other illegal activities such as unregulated fishing.

• Better monitoring for India: These facilities in Mauritius, along with the coastal surveillance radar system in the Seychelles, will enable India to enhance the monitoring of crucial sea lanes in the Indian Ocean.

About Agalega Island

• The Agalega is a group of two small islands-

• the North island which is the main island

• the South Island, located in the Indian Ocean, 1122 Km (697 miles) north of Mauritius

• Both islands are part of the territories and dependencies of the Republic of Mauritius.