"Relationship is super special": Mauritius Foreign Minister lauds leadership of PM Modi, Jugnauth
Feb 22, 2024
New Delhi [India], February 22 : Praising the leadership of Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Pravind Jugnauth, the Foreign Minister of Mauritius, Maneesh Gobin, said that the relationship is super special and more strategic than ever before.
While speaking to ANI, Gobin said that the ties between the two countries have taken to another level in recent years.
On India-Mauritius relations, he said, "I think the relationship is super special. And in recent years, I think the relationship has taken another level."
"I think it more strategic than ever before and especially under the leadership of our two Prime Ministers, the relationship has become, I think the strategic level is the expression to be used," the foreign minister added.
India has close, longstanding relations with Mauritius, an island nation in the Western Indian Ocean, owing to historical, demographic, and cultural reasons.
A key reason for the special ties is the fact that Indian-origin people comprise nearly 70 per cent of the island's population of 1.2 million.
When asked if Mauritius PM and other officials are planning to visit Ayodhya's Ram temple, Gobin said, "We are planning to do it at the official level at the government level. But we need to plan it together with the Government of India. Many citizens of Mauritius are visiting Ayodhya."
"We will be organizing it very soon," he said, adding "In the meantime, we are very pleased to welcome the President of India (Droupadi Murmu) soon to Mauritius. And we are actively organizing this visit for next month."
India-Mauritius relationship is very significant for India's geostrategic policies in the Indian Ocean Region.
India and Mauritius are connected by shared history and connections between India and Mauritius date back to 1730. The diplomatic relations were established in 1948 before Mauritius became an independent state (1968)
On Mauritius-India trade relations, PM Jugnauth had said earlier, "India has signed first agreement with the first country in Africa with Mauritius. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) is another testimony of the consideration that India has for Mauritius. This has now opened up new avenues for trade between the two countries...It is beneficial to both countries..."
