Prez Murmu's first State visit to Mauritius will mark new milestone in ties

President Droupadi Murmu emplaned on her first State visit to Mauritius on Monday.

As a significant highlight of the visit, President Murmu will be the Chief Guest at the National Day celebrations of Mauritius, marking a new milestone in the longstanding friendship between the two countries.

"President Droupadi Murmu departs for her first State visit to Mauritius. She will be Chief Guest at the National Day celebrations of Mauritius," said Rashtrapati Bhavan in a post on X.

As the sixth Indian President to grace the Mauritian National Day as the Chief Guest since 2000, President Murmu's State Visit underscores the longstanding and enduring ties between India and Mauritius. It reaffirms the continued commitment of both countries to further strengthening the bilateral relationship across all sectors and deepening our close people-to-people ties, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement earlier.

MEA official spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal Monday said that this visit will be a "new milestone" in India-Mauritius ties.

"A new milestone in India-Mauritius ties! President Droupadi Murmu @rashtrapatibhvn embarks on a State Visit to Mauritius. President will attend the Mauritius National Day celebrations as the Chief Guest tomorrow," said Jaiswal in a post on X.

President Murmu will undertake a State visit to Mauritius from March 11 to 13 and along with Mauritius PM Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, will jointly inaugurate 14 India-assisted projects, said the MEA.

Murmu will also attend the National Day celebrations of Mauritius on March 12 as the chief guest, on the invitation of the government of Mauritius.

A contingent of the Indian Navy will participate in the celebrations along with two ships of the Indian Navy's First Training Squadron - INS Tir and CGS Sarathi, the MEA release also said.

President Murmu will hold bilateral meetings with the President of the Republic of Mauritius, Prithvirajsing Roopun and Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth.

In addition, President Murmu will meet the Speaker of the Mauritius National Assembly, the Chief Justice of the Mauritian Supreme Court and important Mauritian leaders.

During the visit, President Murmu and Prime Minister Jugnauth will jointly inaugurate 14 India-assisted projects, showcasing the growing expanse and multifaceted nature of India's vibrant development partnership with Mauritius that constitutes a key pillar of the bilateral relationship.

President Murmu will also witness exchange of important bilateral agreements that seek to further strengthen the robust bilateral institutional collaboration and capacity-building cooperation between the two countries, the MEA release added.

The President will pay homage to Mauritian leaders at the Pamplemousses Botanical Garden and undertake visits to historical and cultural sites, including the Aapravasi Ghat, where Indian indentured labourers first arrived in Mauritius, the Intercontinental Slavery Museum and the sacred Ganga Talao. Additionally, she will address Mauritian youth at the University of Mauritius and socio-cultural organisations, members of the Indian diaspora and the Indian community at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute.