Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s visit to Mauritius, the country&rsquo;s foreign minister, Dhananjay Ritish Ramful, has termed the ties between the two countries &ldquo;special and very unique&rdquo;. The Indian PM will be on a two-day state visit to Mauritius on the 11th and 12th of March, during which he will be the chief guest at the country&rsquo;s Independence Day as well. Speaking to WION&rsquo;s Sidhant Sibal, FM said, &ldquo;We have always shared very exceptional cultural exchanges, cultural heritage, historical bonds, and people-to-people ties. They underpin India-Mauritius special ties.&rdquo;
The visit by the Indian leader to Mauritius, the 2nd in a decade, will see the signing of a number of MoUs and big ticket announcements. FM Ramful pointed out that both countries will sign a MoU on White Shipping that will help in growing cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region.
Asked if the Chagos Island issue will be discussed during the visit, the FM thanked India&rsquo;s support and said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m very sure that India, as always, will be very supportive and give assistance to Mauritius, so that you know that we can reach a deal that will restore, on one hand, our sovereignty over Chagos and also secure the base on the Diego Garcia.&rdquo;
Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-miffed-with-uk-after-king-charles-welcomes-zelensky-trudeau-to-his-home-8837379" rel="noopener" target="_blank">&lsquo;Makes him feel less special&rsquo;: Trump miffed with UK after King Charles welcomes Zelensky, Trudeau to his home</a>
In 2024, the UK and Mauritius announced an agreement under which UK will cede sovereignty of the entire Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius, marking the end of its control over its last African colony. But under that agreement, the UK secured a 99-year lease to retain control of Diego Garcia, ensuring the continued operation of the joint UK-US military base. India and the US back then welcomed it.&nbsp;
Sidhant Sibal: How do you see the visit of the Indian Prime Minister to your country? Dhananjay Ritish Ramful: This is a great honor for Mauritius to have the visit of PM Modi. In fact, this is his second visit. He was here in 2015 for the National celebrations and he has very humbly accepted our invitation from our prime minister to come and be our chief guest for the National Day.
Sidhant Sibal: What kind of deliverables we are expecting, we know ahead of the visit that the Indian MEA said that there are MoUs which will be signed, there are projects which will be inaugurated. So if you can perhaps give an overview of what one can expect? Dhananjay Ritish Ramful: In fact, this will be an opportunity, in the context of the visit of the Prime Minister, for us to take the opportunity and reinforce further this special and very unique relationship that we both share. So in that context, there is going to be a number of MoUs that are going to be signed. You know, India has always been a very important development partner of Mauritius in terms of infrastructure projects, etc. So we are looking to sign a number of MoUs. I can just list a few of those MoUs. There will be an MoU between the Ministry of Industry, small and medium enterprises, with the Ministry of micro small and medium enterprises of India on capacity building in relation to sport and medium enterprises. There&rsquo;s also going to be an MoU between the ministry of public service and administrative reforms of Mauritius and the National Centre for Good Governance, Department of Administrative Reforms, and Public Grievances of India on the training of about 500 public officers. There is also going to be an MoU between the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here in Mauritius on the training of diplomats. More importantly, there is going to be a MoU between the Financial Crime Commission of Mauritius and the Directorate of Enforcement of India, as well as the Central Bureau of Investigation, on information sharing in relation to corruption matters and anti-money laundering issues. There is going to be a MoU on line of credit for a water pipeline replacement project in Mauritius. As far as maritime security is concerned, there is going to be a technical agreement on sharing of white shipping information between the Indian Navy and the Mauritian authorities here. So I have listed a few of those MoUs that we are looking forward to signing between the two countries.
Sidhant Sibal: So now talking about the cultural connect, we believe that the Prime Minister will be going to Ganga Talao as well, and there&rsquo;s a strong cultural connect between the two countries. So if you can perhaps talk about that cultural connection. And what can we expect during this visit in terms of that cultural connection? Dhananjay Ritish Ramful: Well, we have always shared very exceptional cultural exchanges, cultural heritage, historical bonds, and people-to-people ties. They underpin India-Mauritius special ties. There are a few commitments from the Indian side to support it. We have the Mahatma Gandhi Institute here in Mauritius, which was set up by India. So there is support for the preservation of documented records on indentured workers from India. We are also looking forward to strengthening the diaspora engagement through the new India program. We are also looking forward to promoting tourism and cultural exchanges through visits to Char Dam and Ramayana trail, as well as ancient places of religious worship in India. So all these exchanges that we are looking forward to try and strengthen further this cultural bond that we share.
Sidhant Sibal: So my last question to you is on what will be the focus in terms of the regional issues, the stability of the Indian Ocean region, and briefly, also when it comes to the Chagos conversations, will this also figure out when the leaders sit? Dhananjay Ritish Ramful: We already have arrangements with the Indian government on maritime security in the region. You know, the Indian Ocean is a very important place of strategic importance, and given the geopolitical climate right. Don&rsquo;t forget when PM Modi came to Mauritius in 2015, he initiated India&rsquo;s vision Sagar. India and Mauritius are members of the Indian Ocean Rim Association. We have also signed the Colombo Security Conclave. All these are structured dialogues are there for us to make sure that the Indian Ocean is an open, safe and secure place, because, as I&rsquo;ve said, the Indian Ocean is a very important trade route for both countries, and we have to ensure that this part of the of the world is secure, because we share common interests, both India and Mauritius. So this is why, with a view to enhance further that cooperation, we are signing this MoU on sharing of information with regards to white shipping. As far as Chagos is concerned, this has been a very long struggle by Mauritius, and in all the various steps towards us restoring our sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago, India has always been very supportive, and there is currently discussions going on between UK and Mauritius on trying to reach deal. I&rsquo;m very sure that India, as always, will be very supportive and give assistance to Mauritius, so that you know that we can reach a deal that will restore, on one hand, our sovereignty over Chagos and also secure the base on the Diego Garcia.
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World | India News: The Indian PM will be on a two-day state visit to Mauritius on the 11th and 12th of March, during which he will be the chief guest at the country’s Independence Day as well.

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mauritius, the country’s foreign minister, Dhananjay Ritish Ramful, has termed the ties between the two countries “special and very unique”. The Indian PM will be on a two-day state visit to Mauritius on the 11th and 12th of March, during which he will be the chief guest at the country’s Independence Day as well. Speaking to WION’s Sidhant Sibal, FM said, “We have always shared very exceptional cultural exchanges, cultural heritage, historical bonds, and people-to-people ties. They underpin India-Mauritius special ties.” The visit by the Indian leader to Mauritius, the 2nd in a decade, will see the signing of a number of MoUs and big ticket announcements. FM Ramful pointed out that both countries will sign a MoU on White Shipping that will help in growing cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region. Asked if the Chagos Island issue will be discussed during the visit, the FM thanked India’s support and said, “I’m very sure that India, as always, will be very supportive and give assistance to Mauritius, so that you know that we can reach a deal that will restore, on one hand, our sovereignty over Chagos and also secure the base on the Diego Garcia.” Also read: ‘Makes him feel less special’: Trump miffed with UK after King Charles welcomes Zelensky, Trudeau to his home In 2024, the UK and Mauritius announced an agreement under which UK will cede sovereignty of the entire Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius, marking the end of its control over its last African colony. But under that agreement, the UK secured a 99-year lease to retain control of Diego Garcia, ensuring the continued operation of the joint UK-US military base. India and the US back then welcomed it. Sidhant Sibal: How do you see the visit of the Indian Prime Minister to your country? Dhananjay Ritish Ramful: This is a great honor for Mauritius to have the visit of PM Modi. In fact, this is his second visit. He was here in 2015 for the National celebrations and he has very humbly accepted our invitation from our prime minister to come and be our chief guest for the National Day. Sidhant Sibal: What kind of deliverables we are expecting, we know ahead of the visit that the Indian MEA said that there are MoUs which will be signed, there are projects which will be inaugurated. So if you can perhaps give an overview of what one can expect? Dhananjay Ritish Ramful: In fact, this will be an opportunity, in the context of the visit of the Prime Minister, for us to take the opportunity and reinforce further this special and very unique relationship that we both share. So in that context, there is going to be a number of MoUs that are going to be signed. You know, India has always been a very important development partner of Mauritius in terms of infrastructure projects, etc. So we are looking to sign a number of MoUs. I can just list a few of those MoUs. There will be an MoU between the Ministry of Industry, small and medium enterprises, with the Ministry of micro small and medium enterprises of India on capacity building in relation to sport and medium enterprises. There’s also going to be an MoU between the ministry of public service and administrative reforms of Mauritius and the National Centre for Good Governance, Department of Administrative Reforms, and Public Grievances of India on the training of about 500 public officers. There is also going to be an MoU between the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here in Mauritius on the training of diplomats. More importantly, there is going to be a MoU between the Financial Crime Commission of Mauritius and the Directorate of Enforcement of India, as well as the Central Bureau of Investigation, on information sharing in relation to corruption matters and anti-money laundering issues. There is going to be a MoU on line of credit for a water pipeline replacement project in Mauritius. As far as maritime security is concerned, there is going to be a technical agreement on sharing of white shipping information between the Indian Navy and the Mauritian authorities here. So I have listed a few of those MoUs that we are looking forward to signing between the two countries. Sidhant Sibal: So now talking about the cultural connect, we believe that the Prime Minister will be going to Ganga Talao as well, and there’s a strong cultural connect between the two countries. So if you can perhaps talk about that cultural connection. And what can we expect during this visit in terms of that cultural connection? Dhananjay Ritish Ramful: Well, we have always shared very exceptional cultural exchanges, cultural heritage, historical bonds, and people-to-people ties. They underpin India-Mauritius special ties. There are a few commitments from the Indian side to support it. We have the Mahatma Gandhi Institute here in Mauritius, which was set up by India. So there is support for the preservation of documented records on indentured workers from India. We are also looking forward to strengthening the diaspora engagement through the new India program. We are also looking forward to promoting tourism and cultural exchanges through visits to Char Dam and Ramayana trail, as well as ancient places of religious worship in India. So all these exchanges that we are looking forward to try and strengthen further this cultural bond that we share. Sidhant Sibal: So my last question to you is on what will be the focus in terms of the regional issues, the stability of the Indian Ocean region, and briefly, also when it comes to the Chagos conversations, will this also figure out when the leaders sit? Dhananjay Ritish Ramful: We already have arrangements with the Indian government on maritime security in the region. You know, the Indian Ocean is a very important place of strategic importance, and given the geopolitical climate right. Don’t forget when PM Modi came to Mauritius in 2015, he initiated India’s vision Sagar. India and Mauritius are members of the Indian Ocean Rim Association. We have also signed the Colombo Security Conclave. All these are structured dialogues are there for us to make sure that the Indian Ocean is an open, safe and secure place, because, as I’ve said, the Indian Ocean is a very important trade route for both countries, and we have to ensure that this part of the of the world is secure, because we share common interests, both India and Mauritius. So this is why, with a view to enhance further that cooperation, we are signing this MoU on sharing of information with regards to white shipping. As far as Chagos is concerned, this has been a very long struggle by Mauritius, and in all the various steps towards us restoring our sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago, India has always been very supportive, and there is currently discussions going on between UK and Mauritius on trying to reach deal. I’m very sure that India, as always, will be very supportive and give assistance to Mauritius, so that you know that we can reach a deal that will restore, on one hand, our sovereignty over Chagos and also secure the base on the Diego Garcia. Also read | WATCH: Man who climbed Big Ben tower with Palestinian flag comes down after 16 hours

Ahead of PM Modi’s visit, Mauritius FM Ramful says ties with India ‘special and unique’

Emphasising on deep links between India and&nbsp;Mauritius, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that both countries are "united by history, ancestry, culture, language and the shared waters of the Indian Ocean."

The Indian prime minister made the comments at a virtual event alongside Mauritius PM Pravind Kumar Jugnauth in which a slew of India-assisted projects were inaugurated.

PM Modi said,&nbsp;"Robust development partnership has emerged as a key pillar of our close ties", explaining, "Mauritius is a prime example of India's approach to development partnership which is based on the needs and priorities of our partners and respects their sovereignty."

Both leaders jointly inaugurated the Social Housing Units Project in the Indian Ocean Island country.

The project comprising of 956 housing units with associated infrastructure such as sewerage treatment plant, leeching field, playgrounds&nbsp;is implemented at two locations&nbsp; - Dagotiere (600 units) and Mare Tabac (356 units). It is one of the five high-profile infrastructure projects identified for implementation under the $353 million Special Economic Package (SEP) extended to Mauritius in 2016.

PM Modi highlighted that he is&nbsp;"particularly glad to be associated with this important effort to provide affordable houses to the common people of Mauritius".

India also initiated two other "nation building" projects including the state-of-the-art civil service college that will help in skilling government officers and the eight&nbsp;megawatt&nbsp;solar PV farm project which will help mitigate the climate challenges that Mauritius faces as an island country.

PM also pointed to cooperation in the maritime security domain, saying, "despite the constraints of COVID-19, we were able to hand over a Dornier aircraft on lease and complete the Short Refit of the Mauritian Coast Guard ship Barracuda".

India also deployed equipment and experts to contain the Wakashio oil spill which PM said "was another example of our cooperation to protect our shared maritime heritage."

Two MoUs were also exchanged during Thursday's event. One regarding Indian grant assistance for the implementation of small development projects, another a $190 million line of credit between export import bank of India (EXIM) and SBM (Mauritius) Infrastructure Development Company Ltd for the ongoing metro express project and other infrastructure projects.

In 2019, both PMs had jointly inaugurated the Metro express project and the New ENT hospital in Mauritius in virtual mode. Likewise, in July 2020, the new Supreme Court building of Mauritius was also inaugurated virtually by the two Prime Ministers.

Emphasising on deep links between India and Mauritius, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that both countries are "united by history, ancestry, culture, language and the shared waters of the Indian Ocean.

Emphasising on deep links between India and Mauritius, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that both countries are "united by history, ancestry, culture, language and the shared waters of the Indian Ocean." The Indian prime minister made the comments at a virtual event alongside Mauritius PM Pravind Kumar Jugnauth in which a slew of India-assisted projects were inaugurated. PM Modi said, "Robust development partnership has emerged as a key pillar of our close ties", explaining, "Mauritius is a prime example of India's approach to development partnership which is based on the needs and priorities of our partners and respects their sovereignty." Both leaders jointly inaugurated the Social Housing Units Project in the Indian Ocean Island country. The project comprising of 956 housing units with associated infrastructure such as sewerage treatment plant, leeching field, playgrounds is implemented at two locations - Dagotiere (600 units) and Mare Tabac (356 units). It is one of the five high-profile infrastructure projects identified for implementation under the $353 million Special Economic Package (SEP) extended to Mauritius in 2016. PM Modi highlighted that he is "particularly glad to be associated with this important effort to provide affordable houses to the common people of Mauritius". India also initiated two other "nation building" projects including the state-of-the-art civil service college that will help in skilling government officers and the eight megawatt solar PV farm project which will help mitigate the climate challenges that Mauritius faces as an island country. PM also pointed to cooperation in the maritime security domain, saying, "despite the constraints of COVID-19, we were able to hand over a Dornier aircraft on lease and complete the Short Refit of the Mauritian Coast Guard ship Barracuda". India also deployed equipment and experts to contain the Wakashio oil spill which PM said "was another example of our cooperation to protect our shared maritime heritage." Two MoUs were also exchanged during Thursday's event. One regarding Indian grant assistance for the implementation of small development projects, another a $190 million line of credit between export import bank of India (EXIM) and SBM (Mauritius) Infrastructure Development Company Ltd for the ongoing metro express project and other infrastructure projects. In 2019, both PMs had jointly inaugurated the Metro express project and the New ENT hospital in Mauritius in virtual mode. Likewise, in July 2020, the new Supreme Court building of Mauritius was also inaugurated virtually by the two Prime Ministers.

India, Mauritius united by history, ancestry: PM Modi

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Ahead of PM Modi’s visit, Mauritius FM Ramful says ties with India ‘special and unique’

India, Mauritius united by history, ancestry: PM Modi