Prez Murmu attends National Day Celebrations of Mauritius as chief guest

President Droupadi Murmu participated in the 56th National Day Celebrations of Mauritius as the Chief Guest on Tuesday, underscoring the longstanding and enduring ties between the two countries.

President Murmu is on a three-day state visit to Mauritius.

The presence of Murmu at the 56th anniversary of the Independence and 32nd anniversary of the Republic of Mauritius marks a momentous occasion for the India-Mauritius special partnership, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

"A momentous occasion for the India-Mauritius special partnership! President Droupadi Murmu @rashtrapatibhvn participated as the Chief Guest in the celebrations of the 56th anniversary of the Independence and 32nd anniversary of the Republic of Mauritius at Champ de Mars," the Ministry of External Affairs posted on X along with some pictures from the event.

Mauritius Day commemorates the East African country's independence from Britain in 1968 and its transition to a republic in 1992.

The day was celebrated with a colourful parade.

A contingent of the Indian Navy also participated in the celebrations. Murmu waved towards the Indian contingent participating in the parade. Two Indian Navy ships -- INS Tir and CGS Sarathi have also docked here as part of the celebrations.

Earlier, Murmu also took a short metro ride to the Mahatma Gandhi Metro Station in Mauritius.

Mauritius Metro, a flagship India-assisted project, has a transformational impact on the lives of the people of Mauritius, the post said.

In 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi jointly inaugurated a metro express service and a hospital in Mauritius with Mauritian premier Pravind Jugnauth via video.