PM Modi holds bilateral meeting with his Mauritius counterpart Pravind Jugnauth

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Mauritius counterpart, Pravind Jugnauth, on Friday and held bilateral meeting in New Delhi.

Earlier today, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with Mauritius Prime Minister and the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to take forward the “truly special partnership” between India and Mauritius.

Delighted to call on PM @KumarJugnauth of Mauritius today morning. Value Mauritius’ participation in the @g20org.

Reaffirmed our commitment to take our truly special partnership forward. pic.twitter.com/iKIS60HAnI

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 8, 2023

Mauritius Prime Minister highlighted India’s support seen in all sectors of the Mauritian economy and said that New Delhi was the first to sign an agreement with Port Louis – the first country in Africa to sign Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

#WATCH | G 20 in India | Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mauritius PM Pravind Kumar Jugnauth hold a bilateral meeting, in Delhi pic.twitter.com/P59ttdu9mK

— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2023

On Mauritius-India trade relations, PM Jugnauth said, “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…”

Meanwhile, in 2023, India, and Mauritius celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations. “I think in itself, it is a milestone that needs to be celebrated and also a testimony of how this relationship has been strengthening throughout the years so that we have reached a situation today where I can say that never before has this relationship reached such heights,” Jugnauth said.

The Mauritian PM then went ahead to thank the Indian government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the country’s consistent support in Mauritius’s fight for decolonisation.

India and Mauritius share a colonial past and are joined by unique Diaspora ties. Both countries celebrate diversity of ethnicities, faiths, languages, and cultures, and draw strength from being inclusive democracies with independent judiciary and a vibrant media.

“We are very thankful for the role that India has played. I believe that with the influence of India, we have gathered even larger support and we are very convinced that we are progressing each time that we are moving forward,” he said.

On September 7, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth arrived in New Delhi to attend the G20 Summit set to be hosted under India’s Presidency on September 9-10.

Moreover, as the global leaders have begun to arrive in India to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that he looks forward to the three bilateral meetings scheduled at his residence.