The Private Notice Question was based on the infrastructure under construction at Agalega. The first issue was the publication of the agreement between India and Mauritius. Xavier-Luc Duval insisted that the document must be made public. He even added that India’s foreign minister has indicated that he has no objection to the document being released. “I’m not aware”, Pravind Jugnauth replied. He said he discussed the matter with the Indian government and Narendra Modi. At no time, he added, was there any question of removing the confidentiality aspect.
Xavier-Luc Duval also insisted on what India would demand for its generosity. “The more you spend, the more you demand in return,” he said. The Prime Minister referred to the Metro Express in its answer, saying that the opposition members should be grateful to India instead of asking for the counterparts asked. For him, the government has a long-term vision for Agalega.
“The counterpart for the Metro Express is the end of the no-double taxation treaty, my friend,” said Xavier-Luc Duval. He added that such a large infrastructure will be used for military aircraft, such as Poseidon-81, and submarines. “I’m just saying that Mauritius is a sovereign country. So is its Parliament. Therefore, the Prime Minister has no right to hide this kind of information from Parliament,” he said.
