Port Louis:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will start a two-day state visit to Mauritius on Tuesday to celebrate the island nation’s 57th National Day celebrations as the chief guest. During the Prime Minister’s visit, India and Mauritius will sign a series of agreements to improve economic and security relations.
A team of the Indian Armed Forces will also participate in the celebration with the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force’s Akash Ganga parachuting team.
Speaking about Prime Minister Modi’s visit, his Mauritius rival Navinchandra Ramgoolam said: “It is indeed a peculiar privilege that our country has such an outstanding personality and he has provided us with this honor, and despite his recent visit to Paris and the United States, he has agreed to be our special guest here.”
He added: “The visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi proves the close relationship between our two countries.”
About the agenda
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, many memorandums of understanding (MOUS) will be exchanged between the two sides during the visit. In addition, Prime Minister Modi and Ramgulam will also hold extensive speeches.
Foreign Minister Vikram Misri said in a media briefing on Saturday that the Indian Navy and Mauritius authorities will sign a technical agreement to exchange information on white shipping during the Prime Minister’s visit.
“This will enable Indian and Mauritius authorities to work together to prevent illegal activities and improve Mauritius’ awareness at sea in the region,” he said.
He said the two sides will also sign several agreements in the areas of capacity building, bilateral trade, solving cross-border financial crimes and promoting small and medium-sized enterprises.
According to Misri, the National Marine Information Service Centre in India and the Prime Minister’s Office of Mauritius will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to create a framework for collaboration in marine area management and marine observation and research.
PM Modi will also join Ramgoolam during the inauguration of the Civil Service Academy and the inauguration of the Health Centre built by India grants.
The Indian Law Enforcement Agency (ED) and the Financial Crime Commission in Mauritius will sign a memorandum of understanding on combating financial crimes during Modi’s visit. The agreement aims to strengthen cooperation in intelligence and technical assistance to combat money laundering and related crimes.
The Prime Minister of India will also meet with senior VIPs and leaders of the political party and interact with members of the Indian-Odin community.
Misri described Mauritius as a close-range maritime neighbor, saying India has been honored to be the preferred development partner for the island nation.
Indian Maolong Belt
India has close ties with Mauritius, an island country in the western Indian Ocean. A key reason for the special relationship is that nearly 70% of Indians make up 1.2 million (1.2 million).
Since 2005, India has been one of Mauritius’ largest trading partners. In the fiscal year 2022-2023, India’s exports to Mauritius were US$462 million, while Mauritius’ exports to India were US$91.5 million. Total trade volume was US$554 million.
According to official data, trade between the two countries has increased by 132% over the past 17 years, from $206 million in 2005-06 to $554 million in 2022-23.
In addition, cooperation between maritime security and defense has also increased significantly over the past decade. India has helped expand strategic aircraft runways and terminals of Agalega, one of the outer islands of Mauritius, to enhance the country’s ability to monitor its vast exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 2.3 million square kilometers.
Last July, Foreign Minister Jaishankar visited the island country and met with the then-opposed Prime Minister Ramgoolam. The son of Mauritius founding father Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, Ramgoolam PM, has a strong affinity for India. During the pandemic on the 19th, he was seriously ill and sent to New Delhi for treatment.
Balance between India and China
With China nudging to help it continue its investigations in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius remains a staunch partner of India in the Indian Ocean region and will work with New Delhi to develop a cooperative framework for ocean observation, research and information management.
One month after the China Maolong Free Trade Agreement in February 2021, Port Louis signed a comprehensive economic cooperation and cooperation agreement with New Delhi.
During his first visit to the island nation in 2015, Prime Minister Modi also announced the Sagar (security and growth in the region) of the Indian-Indian Ocean Doctrine.
With China nudging to help it continue its investigations in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius remains a staunch partner of India in the Indian Ocean region and will work with New Delhi to develop a cooperative framework for ocean observation, research and information management.
One month after the China Maolong Free Trade Agreement in February 2021, Port Louis signed a comprehensive economic cooperation and cooperation agreement with New Delhi.
During his first visit to the island nation in 2015, Prime Minister Modi also announced the Sagar (security and growth in the region) of the Indian-Indian Ocean Doctrine.
