Mauritius, Mar 12 President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday led delegation-level talks with Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth and members of his Cabinet.
The President also witnessed exchange of several agreements and Memoranda of Understanding between India and Mauritius, including announcement of a new Line of Credit of USD 100 million for Defence procurement by the Government of Mauritius.
India offered a Multi-Purpose Offshore Patrol Vessel (MPOPV) to Mauritius, to augment its security capacity. This would be financed through the new Defence LOC announced on Monday, and also with an additional grant component of USD five million.
The other agreements exchanged on Monday include Memoranda of Understanding on cooperation between Nalanda University in Bihar and Mauritius; establishment of an Ayurveda Chair at the University of Mauritius, and MoU between the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the Public Service Commission of Mauritius, whereby the UPSC will provide necessary assistance for capacity building to its Mauritian counterpart; and an agreement to facilitate cultural exchanges between the two countries.
Speaking on the occasion, President Kovind said ‘India and Mauritius share common security concerns in the Indian Ocean Region. India has assisted Mauritius in the past by supplying patrol vessels. Taking this cooperation further, I am happy to announce today that India will supply a Multi-Purpose Offshore Patrol Vessel to Mauritius under a Line of Credit.’
Later in the day, President Kovind received various dignitaries, who called on him. The Mauritian dignitaries included Chief Justice of Mauritius Justice Kheshoe Parsad Matadeen, Speaker of National Assembly of Mauritius Santi Bai Hanoomanjee and Leader of the Opposition in Mauritius Xavier Luc Duval.
In these meetings, the President reiterated that India accords great importance to the steady development of relations between the two countries.
‘India-Mauritius bilateral cooperation is comprehensive and multi-faceted. Regular high-level interaction between political leaders of the two countries has given direction and impetus to this partnership. Shared values of democracy, rule of law and social harmony further reinforce our relationship,’ he added.