Jul 15, 2024 08:27 PM IST
Mauritius is one of the countries to benefit from India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy and a strategic airstrip and jetty were inaugurated in February
NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar will visit Mauritius on July 16-17 for meetings with the country’s top political leadership and to review bilateral relations.
This will be one of Jaishankar’s first bilateral engagements following his re-appointment after the general election and follows Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth’s trip to India last month for the swearing-in of the new cabinet and council of ministers.
Mauritius is one of the countries that has benefited from India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy and the two sides jointly inaugurated a strategic airstrip and jetty in the island nation in February. The upgrade of the infrastructure was fully funded with Indian grants.
Jaishankar, who previously travelled to Mauritius in February 2021, will meet Jugnauth and also hold separate meetings with senior ministers of the government. He will also engage with other prominent Mauritian leaders, the external affairs ministry said on Monday while announcing the visit.
“The visit will provide an opportunity for both sides to comprehensively take stock of various facets of the bilateral relationship,” the ministry said.
The visit also underscores the importance of the India-Mauritius relationship and is a reflection of India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy, the SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision and commitment to the Global South, it said.
India and Mauritius have modern digital connectivity in the form of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and RuPay Card, and New Delhi has been the first responder for the Indian Ocean country during events such as the Covid-19 pandemic or oil spills.
Over the past 10 years, India provided credit lines worth about $1 billion dollars and assistance of $400 million to Mauritius. This has helped create infrastructure such as a metro service, social housing, hospitals, civil service colleges and sports complexes.
