India, Mauritius to sign several pacts during PM Modi's two-day visit

Misri said on Saturday that two sides will sign several agreements in the fields of capacity building, bilateral trade, tackling cross-border financial crimes and promoting small, medium enterprises

India and Mauritius will sign several pacts providing for cooperation in the areas of capacity building, trade and to tackle cross-border financial crimes during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to the country from Tuesday.

Modi is travelling to Mauritius primarily to grace the island nation's national-day celebrations as the chief guest on March 12.

At a media briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Saturday that the two sides will sign several agreements in the fields of capacity building, bilateral trade, tackling cross-border financial crimes and promoting small and medium enterprises.

The visit will enable both sides to take stock of the bilateral ties and provide orientation to engagement in the coming months and years, he said.

Describing Mauritius as a close maritime neighbour, Misri said India has been privileged to be a preferred development partner for the island nation.

In the last 10 years, the relationship has deepened significantly, he said.

A contingent of Indian defence forces will participate in the national-day celebrations of Mauritius, along with a ship from the Indian Navy.

India has close and longstanding relations with Mauritius, an island nation in the Western Indian Ocean.

A key reason for the special ties is the fact that Indian-origin people comprise nearly 70 per cent of the island nation's population of 1.2 million (12 lakh).

Since 2005, India has been among the largest trading partners of Mauritius.

For the financial year 2022-2023, Indian exports to Mauritius were USD 462 million, while Mauritian exports to India were USD 91.5 million.

The total trade volume was USD 554 million.

Trade has grown by 132 per cent in the last 17 years, from USD 206 million in 2005-06 to USD 554 million in 2022-23, according to official data.