PM Narendra Modi leaves for Mauritius on 2-day visit, to attend national day celebrations

In his departure statement, PM Modi said the close and historical people-to-people connection between the two sides is a source of shared pride.

As he embarked on a two-day trip to Mauritius, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the visit will open a "new and bright" chapter in the ties between the two nations.

Modi left for the island nation after around midnight. He will be in Mauritius on March 11 and 12 at the invitation of Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam primarily to grace the national day celebrations of Mauritius.

In his departure statement, the prime minister said he was looking forward to engaging with the leadership of Mauritius to elevate "our partnership in all its facets and strengthen our enduring friendship for the progress and prosperity of our peoples." A contingent of Indian armed forces will participate in the celebrations along with a warship of the Indian Navy and the Akash Ganga skydiving team of the Indian Air Force.

"Mauritius is a close maritime neighbour, a key partner in the Indian Ocean, and a gateway to the African Continent. We are connected by history, geography and culture," Modi said.

"Deep mutual trust, a shared belief in the values of democracy, and celebration of our diversity are our strengths," he said.

The prime minister said the close and historical people-to-people connection between the two sides is a source of shared pride.

"I am confident that this visit will build on the foundations of the past and open a new and bright chapter in the India and Mauritius relationship," he said.

The prime minister noted that "significant strides" have been made in the past 10 years between the two sides with people centric initiatives.

"I look forward to the opportunity to engage with the Mauritius leadership to elevate our partnership in all its facets and strengthen our enduring friendship for the progress and prosperity of our peoples, as well as for security and development in the Indian Ocean Region, as part of our vision SAGAR," he added.

SAGAR stands for Security And Growth for All in the Region.

The national day celebrations of Mauritius will be on March 12.

India and Mauritius have uniquely close cooperation in maritime security, development partnership, capacity-building and close people-to-people ties.

The close bonds are especially evident in the numerous India-assisted development projects that dot the Mauritian landscape. India is amongst the largest trading partners of Mauritius. Mauritius was the second largest source of FDI into India for the 2023-24, after Singapore.

Mauritius and India signed a comprehensive economic cooperation and partnership agreement (CECPA) in February 2021 after nearly 15 years of negotiations. It was the first trade agreement signed by India with an African country.