President Murmu to jointly inaugurate 14 India-assisted projects with Mauritius PM

NEW DELHI: On the invitation of the government of Mauritius, President Droupadi Murmu will undertake a state visit to the island nation from March 11-13 to attend the National Day celebrations as a chief guest.

During the visit, President Murmu and Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth will jointly inaugurate 14 India-assisted projects, showcasing the growing expanse and multifaceted nature of India's vibrant development partnership with Mauritius that constitutes a key pillar of the bilateral relationship.

"As the sixth Indian President to grace the Mauritian National Day as the Chief Guest since 2000, President Droupadi Murmu's state visit underscores the longstanding and enduring ties between India and Mauritius," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, said in an announcement on Friday.

The visit also reaffirms the continued commitment of both countries to further strengthening the bilateral relationship across all sectors and deepening close people-to-people ties, an MEA statement added.

In the March 12 National Day celebrations, a contingent of the Indian Navy will also participate in the celebrations along with two ships of the Indian Navy's First Training Squadron -- INS Tir and CGS Sarathi.

President Murmu will also hold bilateral meetings with her Mauritius counterpart Prithvirajsing Roopun and PM Jugnauth.

In addition, she will meet the Speaker of the Mauritius National Assembly, the Chief Justice of the Mauritian Supreme Court, and other important Mauritian leaders.

According to an MEA release, the President will also witness the exchange of the key bilateral agreements that seek to strengthen the robust bilateral institutional collaboration and capacity-building cooperation between the two countries.

She will pay homage to Mauritian leaders at the Pamplemousses Botanical Garden and also visit historical and cultural sites.

This includes visits to the Aapravasi Ghat, where Indian indentured labourers first arrived in Mauritius, the Intercontinental Slavery Museum, and the sacred Ganga Talao.

Additionally, she will address Mauritian youth at the University of Mauritius and socio-cultural organisations, members of the Indian diaspora, and the Indian community at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute.