Mauritius PM Ramgoolam to visit to India from Sept 9-16

Mauritian Prime Minister Dr Navin Ramgoolam will undertake a state visit to India from September 9 to 16, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Friday. This will be his first overseas bilateral visit since assuming office in his current term.

India has close and longstanding relations with Mauritius, an island nation in the Western Indian Ocean, anchored in shared history, demography and culture. A key reason for the special ties is the fact that Indian origin people comprise nearly 70% of the island’s population of 1.2 million (28% Creole, 3% Sino-Mauritian, 1% Franco-Mauritian).

Dr Ramgoolam had last visited India in 2014 to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Council of Ministers.

“During his week-long stay starting September 9, the Mauritian leader will hold talks in New Delhi and also travel to Mumbai, Varanasi, Ayodhya, and Tirupati. In Mumbai, he is scheduled to attend a business event aimed at strengthening economic engagement between the two countries,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a media briefing.

The visit is expected to further bolster the deep-rooted historical, cultural, and economic ties between India and Mauritius.

Officials describe India-Mauritius relationship by a high level of trust and mutual understanding at the leadership level and continued high-level political engagement.

These special ties have resulted in uniquely close cooperation in maritime security, development partnership, capacity-building, cooperation in international fora, technical assistance through deputation of Indian experts to GOM, vibrant cultural exchanges and close people-to-people ties. The close bonds are especially evident in the numerous India-assisted development projects that dot the Mauritian landscape.