Indian Navy chief Admiral R.K. Dhowan Monday reached Mauritius to explore new avenues of defence cooperation and strengthen military ties.During his four-day visit, Admiral Dhowan will meet senior government and defence officials.A defence ministry release said that Dhowan and his Mauritius counterpart will inaugurate "data flow of the information exchange" concerning merchant marine.The release said India and Mauritius share centuries old religious and linguistic bonds.
"These bonds have strengthened over time through goodwill gestures and bilateral visits. The people of Indian origin, who comprise around 68 percent of the population, have preserved their heritage and have a strong emotional attachment with India," the release said.It said that Indian Navy has been actively cooperating with Mauritius Maritime agencies on their maritime security needs such as hydrography surveys as also in training.Mauritius Coast Guard ship 'Barracuda' was recently built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Kolkata, the release said and added that Mauritius has also placed orders for two fast-attack craft and ten fast-interceptor craft.