Modi in Mauritius Shares ‘Sagar’ Bonhomie with ‘Mini India’

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Modi to Receive Highest Mauritius Award on National Day

By Raisina Correspondent

New Delhi, March 11: Mauritian women sang ‘Gavai’ to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Port Louis on Tuesday. Modi also addressed Indian diaspora with opening remarks in ‘Bhojpuri’. India and Mauritius ties gain spotlight amid global lens on Africa.

The Prime Minister called on Dharambeer Gokhool, President of the Republic of Mauritius, at the State House. “The two leaders exchanged views on deepening the special and close bilateral ties between India and Mauritius. In this context, they recalled the shared history between the two countries and the existence of strong people-to-people linkages,” said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement.

Prime Minister noted that it was an honour for him to attend the National Day celebrations of Mauritius as Chief Guest for the second time. In a special gesture, Prime Minister handed over OCI cards to President Gokhool and First Lady Vrinda Gokhool.

Prime Minister also visited the Ayurveda Garden in the State House, established in collaboration with the Government of India. Prime Minister noted that Mauritius is an important partner for India in advancing the benefits of traditional medicine including Ayurveda.

Modi had first visited Mauritius as Prime Minister in 2015. He had unveiled ‘SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in Region)’. With ‘Sagar’ as the template for cooperation, India has sought to deepen ties with members of the Indian Ocean Region (IPO) with Mauritius as an important member. India-Mauritius relations have also been an exemplar for island nations in the Indian Ocean.

Modi, along with the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Navinchandra Ramgoolam, addressed a gathering of the Indian community and friends of India in Mauritius at a special event held at the Trianon Convention Centre. Ramgoolam announced that Mauritius would be conferring its highest civilian award ‘Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean [G.C.S.K]’ on Prime Minister of India during the National Day celebrations.

Saline water to power LED lamps

A special carve out for Mauritius has been made whereby OCI cards can be made available to the seventh generation of the people of Indian origin in Mauritius. “Prime Minister underscored that India would be supporting several initiatives to nurture the Girmitiya legacy. Prime Minister noted that India was privileged to be a close development partner of Mauritius,” said the MEA in a statement.

Modi further elaborated that India-Mauritius special ties played a key role in India’s SAGAR Vision and its engagement with the Global South. Speaking about tackling the shared challenge of climate change, he appreciated Mauritius’s partnership in the International Solar Alliance and the Global Biofuels Alliance initiatives.

India and Mauritius have close security relations. Indian Navy has a base station in Mauritius. India also advises Government of Mauritius on security matters. Mauritius is also a member of Africa Union. India is deepening defence ties with Africa.

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