Mauritius has gone pretty far in securing a deal with India in its favor. Mauritius, which has a reat potential for trade tourism and being a trade hub, has offered two of the islands to India expecting a trade and investment deal in return. The offer had been brought into the scene again to keep the double taxation avoidance treaty in 1983 intact.

Minister of Foreign Trade and Affairs for Mauritius, Aravin Boolell has stated that India could use the islads to its advantage. “There is a great potentia in the Bue Economy”, he said. According to the offer India can use both the islands, which are closer to India than to Africa, 1,100 km north of Mauritius, in any way, including but not limited to trade, marine studies, tourist resorts, hotels, or even for strategic presence in the Indian Ocean.

Agalega Islands, North and South, which are both popular destinations among tourists who prefer Mauritius to spend quality holidays  with a total area of 70 sq.km could in fact be worthy in exhage for the preservation of the 1983 treaty. The North Agalega Island also has an Airstrip.

In November of 2006, there have been discussions about the deal to surrender the Agalega Islands to India to improve the tourism and establish them as a trade hub.

AW - India