India finalising agreement to supply oil, gas to Mauritius

India is finalising an agreement for the supply of oil and gas to Mauritius to strengthen its energy security amid the crisis due to the West Asia conflict, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said here on Thursday.

Jaishankar, who is in Mauritius to attend the 9th Indian Ocean Conference, said the ongoing crisis in West Asia as Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam reminded him, has underscored the importance of strategic partnerships, especially in the energy sector.

The West Asia war and Iran’s chokehold of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which a fifth of global oil passes, had halted shipping and sent global oil prices soaring.