External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar is on a two-day official visit to Mauritius. During this visit, he participated in the inauguration of various projects and the exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Mauritius in Port Louis, alongside Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth.
This visit marks Jaishankar’s first bilateral trip to Port Louis since being re-appointed in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term. He expressed pride in India’s partnership with Mauritius, highlighting the strength and depth of their bilateral ties and India’s commitment to this enduring relationship.
Jaishankar discussed several aspects of bilateral relations with the Mauritius PM, including the Development Partnership, Defence and Maritime Cooperation, economic and trade ties, and people-to-people connections. He reiterated India’s support for Mauritius’s progress and prosperity, emphasizing that their relationship benefits from India’s key foreign policy approaches.
Mauritius is part of India’s Neighbourhood First Policy, Vision SAGAR, Africa Forward Initiative, and commitment to the Global South. Jaishankar noted the historical and kinship bonds shared between the two nations, describing their relationship as a model for India’s development collaboration abroad. He also highlighted the virtual inauguration of 12 community development projects, bringing the total to 37 out of 96 planned projects.
“Eight more, I understand, will be inaugurated in the next two months in Rodrigues and Agalega,” he added.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar highlighted several key areas of cooperation between India and Mauritius:
Space Cooperation: The collaboration between India’s ISRO and Mauritius’ MRIC has progressed with the exchange of a Project Plan Document. This project aims to launch a satellite for Mauritius.
Maritime Collaboration: Jaishankar handed over a royalty payment cheque of 1.3 million Mauritian rupees, earned from the sale of Mauritian nautical charts produced by the joint hydrography service. This collaboration, nearly two decades old, has significantly enhanced bilateral cooperation.
Support for Mahatma Gandhi Institute (MGI): Both nations will assist MGI in digitizing records of indentured workers and provide training to MGI staff through the National Archives of India.
ICCR Chair Renewal: The term of the ICCR Chair in Sanskrit and Indian Philosophy at MGI will be renewed for another five years.
Chagos Archipelago Issue: Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s support for Mauritius on the Chagos Archipelago issue, emphasizing India’s commitment to decolonization and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations.
Mauritius Minister of External Affairs, Maneesh Gobin, expressed gratitude to India for its unwavering support. He described it as a ‘momentous day’ as he and India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, inaugurated High Impact Community Development Projects, exchanged Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), and handed over Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards.