Jaishankar to visit Mauritius from Feb 22-23, aims to further boost bilateral relations

Wrapping up his Maldives’ visit, External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar is scheduled to travel to Mauritius from February 22-23 after last visiting the nation in August 2018. Jaishankar last arrived in the East African nation when former EAM late Sushma Swaraj visited Mauritius for the 11th World Hindi Conference. While India is the largest development cooperation partner of Mauritius with a focus on people-oriented projects, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jagnauth had also visited India in an unofficial visit with his spouse in December 2019. 

Elevating the bilateral relations between both the nations, in July 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth jointly e-inaugurated the new Supreme Court building in Mauritius built with India grant assistance. Both leaders had previously also inaugurated Phase 1 of the landmark Metro Express project and a new ENT hospital in Mauritius.  The Metro Express Project is also the largest infrastructure projected which is being executed by India in Mauritius. 

Meanwhile, close India-Mauritius ties were also revealed in August 2020, when the East African nation was struck by a major environmental hazard including the significant oil spill on its south-east coast. At the time, at the request of the Mauritius government,  India provided over 30 tonnes of technical equipment and material on board an IAF Aircraft to Mauritius to supplement the oil containment. 

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Jaishankar meets Maldivian President

Meanwhile, S Jaishankar also met with Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Sunday. The EAM conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s greetings to Solih and reiterated India’s “fullest commitment” as development partners during the COVID-19 pandemic “and beyond”. 

Since the beginning of his visit to South Asian country, the EAM has witnessed “the exchange of agreements on a wide range of domains” that India-Maldives are working on jointly, accompanied the Speaker Mohamed Nasheed and Foreign Minister along with Sports Minister Ahmed Mahloof at Ekuveni Stadium, inaugurated Hulhumalé Central Park and the Westside Arrival Jetty with Maldivian FM, had “productive discussions” with South Asian country’s Economic Ministers and witnessed the signing of project execution contract for construction of roads in Addu.

Further, Jaishankar also signed a $50 million Defence LoC agreement and the UTF Harbour Project agreement with Mariya Didi with whom he had a “useful exchange”  on defence cooperation.

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