India, Mauritius elevate ties to 'enhanced strategic partnership'

India and Mauritius on Wednesday agreed to elevate ties to “enhanced strategic partnership” while reaffirming collective commitment to a "free, safe, secure and open Indian Ocean”.

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The decision to elevate ties was taken at delegation-level talks led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mauritius PM Navinchandra Ramghoolam on Wednesday.

Addressing the media after the talks, PM Modi expressed happiness at returning as chief guest on the 57th Independence Day celebrations of Mauritius and said India-Mauritius ties went beyond the Indian Ocean to shared cultural heritage and values.

After reviewing the full range of bilateral relations with Mauritius today, PM Modi said India would support the construction of a new Parliament building in the country.

"It will be a gift to Mauritius from the mother of democracy," the PM said, adding that India would continue to support Mauritius' Exclusive Economic Zone and add 500 million Mauritian rupee projects to the second phase of community development work in the country.

"Over the next five years, 500 civil servants from Mauritius will be trained in India and we have also reached an agreement for local currency trade settlement," said PM.

He also announced a new vision for the Global South called MAHASAGAR, which will take forward Vision SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in The Region" whose foundations were laid in Mauritius a decade ago.

Modi termed people to people ties as a key component of India-Mauritius partnership promising to facilitate Ramayana trail for people of Mauritius visiting India.

Earlier in his remarks, PM mentioned how India had helped build a metro express for pace in Mauritius, Supreme Court building for justice, social housing for prosperous living, ENT hospital for good health, UPI and Rupay cards for trade and tourism and Jan Aushadhi Kendra for affordable and quality medicines.

"Many people-centric initiatives have been taken in Mauritius in a time-bound manner," said the PM who, along with Ramgoolam, also inaugurated the Atal Behari Institute for Public Service and Innovation in Mauritius.

The two sides signed eight MoUs across various key sectors of crime investigation, maritime traffic monitoring, infrastructure, diplomacy, commerce, capacity building, finance and ocean economy.

Ramghoolam, in his address, said PM Modi had honoured Mauritius with his presence on the 57th anniversary of independence.

"His presence is testimony to the unique relations which bind our two nations. While formal diplomatic relations between us were established in 1948, people to people ties go back centuries," Ramghoolam said after he and PM Modi inaugurated 20 India-aided community development projects in Mauritius.

The two countries will also draft Mauritius India Joint Vision Document for Enhanced Strategic Partnership and collaborate in space research, AI and digital public infrastructure.