During the visit, Jaishankar will call on Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth and hold bilateral meetings with other senior ministers of the Mauritius government. | Photo: PTI
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived here on Tuesday on a two-day visit to hold productive talks with the leaders of Mauritius and further develop the special bilateral relations.
The visit to the Indian Ocean island nation is one of Jaishankar’s first bilateral meetings after his re-election in the third term of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The visit underscores the importance of the India-Mauritius relationship and is a reflection of India’s Neighbourhood First policy, Vision SAGAR and commitment to the Global South.
He was received at the airport by Maneesh Gobin, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade of Mauritius.
“Namaste Mauritius! Thank you External Affairs Minister @ManeeshGobin for the warm welcome,” Jaishankar posted on X along with the photos.
“I look forward to productive collaborations to further develop this special relationship,” he added.
Responding to his message, Gobin said Jaishankar’s visit underscores the strong and enduring partnership between the two countries.
“Delighted to welcome @DrSJaishankar to Mauritius. His visit highlights the strong and enduring partnership between our countries. Together, we will continue to strengthen our ties and explore new avenues of cooperation,” he posted on X, also using the hashtags #IndiaMauritius and #GlobalSouth.
During the visit, Jaishankar will call on the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth, and hold bilateral meetings with other senior ministers of the Government of Mauritius.
He will also hold discussions with other prominent Mauritian leaders. “The visit will provide an opportunity for both sides to comprehensively take stock of various facets of the bilateral relationship,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement in New Delhi ahead of the minister’s visit.
“The visit also reaffirms the continued commitment of both countries to further strengthen the multidimensional bilateral relationship and deepen close people-to-people ties,” it added.
“Jaishankar’s visit follows the recent visit of Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth to India for the swearing-in ceremony of the new Cabinet and Council of Ministers,” the statement said.
Jaishankar previously visited Mauritius in February 2021.
According to the website of the Indian High Commission in Mauritius, India has close and long-standing ties with Mauritius, an island nation in the western Indian Ocean, for historical, demographic and cultural reasons.
A major reason for the special ties is the fact that people of Indian descent make up almost 70 percent of the island’s 1.2 million inhabitants. Another 28 percent are Creole, 3 percent Chinese-Mauritian and 1 percent French-Mauritian.
India has traditionally been the first responder to Mauritius in times of crisis, including the recent Covid-19 and Wakashio oil spills. At the request of Mauritius, India provided 13 tonnes of medicines, 10 tonnes of Ayurvedic medicines and an Indian Rapid Response Medical Team to help combat the pandemic in April-May 2020.
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First print: Jul 16, 2024 | 1:36 PM IST