Mauritius: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, arrived in Mauritius Tuesday on a visit that aims at further strengthening the bilateral relationship which is characterised by deep and abiding bonds based on common friendship, culture, and a shared civilisational heritage.
“The visit highlights the regular high-level engagement between India and Mauritius and the importance India attaches to Mauritius as a key partner in our Neighbourhood First, Vision Sagar and MAHASAGAR, Africa Forward policies, and our commitment to the Global South”, the Indian Embassy in Mauritius posted on X.
The leadership of the two countries enjoys a high level of trust and mutual understanding, which is reflected in the continued high-level political engagement. These special ties have also resulted in uniquely close cooperation in maritime security, development partnership, capacity-building, cooperation in international fora and bilateral technical assistance through deputation of Indian experts to the region.
The close bonds are also evident in the numerous India-assisted development projects that dot the Mauritian landscape. The enduring cultural and people-to-people ties between India and Mauritius are nurtured by the Indian Cultural Centre in Mauritius – which is India’s biggest in the world – and the World Hindi Secretariat, a bilateral organisation for the global promotion of Hindi.
The Neighbourhood First policy, inter alia, is aimed at enhancing physical, digital and people-to-people connectivity across the region, as well as augmenting trade and commerce. This policy has evolved into an institutional priority for all the relevant arms of the Government managing relations and policies with India’s neighbourhood.
The ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region’ (SAGAR) concept was first articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mauritius in 2015. Under this concept, India envisages a free, open, inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, one which is built on a rules-based international order, sustainable and transparent infrastructure investment, freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce, mutual respect for sovereignty, peaceful resolution of disputes, as well as equality of all nations.
Earlier this year, on the invitation of the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a State Visit to Mauritius to attend the National Day celebrations of Mauritius on March 12 as the Chief Guest. A contingent of Indian Defence Forces also participated in the celebrations along with a ship from the Indian Navy.
During the March visit, Prime Minister Modi and Ramgoolam had comprehensive and productive discussions on the entire gamut of bilateral relations between Mauritius and India, reaffirming the strong and enduring bond while reinforcing the shared commitment of both countries to enhance the bilateral relationship across all sectors.
The two leaders had also reaffirmed that Mauritius and India enjoy a special and unique relationship that is unparalleled, given the shared bonds of history, language, culture, heritage, kinship, and values. They further acknowledged that Mauritius-India ties, anchored in people-to-people and cultural exchanges, have grown from strength to strength in the last several decades into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that cuts across various domains and benefits the two countries, their people and the wider Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
(IANS)
