NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi will travel to Mauritius next month as chief guest for the national day celebrations of the Indian Ocean country. After 2015, this is the second time Modi has been given that honour by Mauritius.
The announcement about Modi’s participation as the guest of honour on the 57th anniversary of the independence of Mauritius on March 12 was made by PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam in Parliament on Friday.
“It is indeed a singular privilege for our country to host such a distinguished personality, who is doing us this honour in spite of his very tight schedule and in spite of his recent visits to Paris and the United States. He has agreed to be here as our special guest. The visit of Modi is a testimony of the close relations between our two nations,” said Ramgoolam.
President Droupadi Murmu attended Mauritius National Day celebrations last year as the chief guest. With 70% of its people tracing their roots to India, Mauritius is a key partner for India in the western Indian Ocean.
India last year strongly backed the agreement between the United Kingdom and Mauritius for the return of Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago, including Diego Garcia, saying it completed the decolonisation of Mauritius. India has consistently supported Mauritius’s claim for sovereignty over Chagos, in line with its long-held position on decolonization and support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, as well as its longstanding and close partnership with Mauritius.