Prez Murmu departs for Mauritius to attend National Day celebrations

New Delhi, March 11 (IANS) In a further fillip to India-Mauritius ties, President Droupadi Murmu on Monday embarked on a state visit to the island nation from March 11-13 to attend the National Day celebrations as a chief guest.

A contingent of the Indian Navy will also participate in the March 12 celebrations along with two Ships of the Indian Navy's First Training Squadron -- INS Tir and CGS Sarathi.

"A new milestone in India-Mauritius ties. President Droupadi Murmu embarks on a state visit to Mauritius. President will attend the Mauritius National Day celebrations as the Chief Guest tomorrow," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a post on X.

During the visit, President Murmu and Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth will jointly inaugurate 14 India-assisted projects, showcasing the growing expanse and multifaceted nature of India's development partnership.

Her visit comes days after Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Jugnauth jointly inaugurated a new airstrip and a jetty along with six other community development projects in Agalega Island.

"As the sixth Indian President to grace the Mauritian National Day as the Chief Guest since 2000, President Droupadi Murmu's state visit underscores the longstanding and enduring ties between India and Mauritius," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, had said in an announcement last week.

President Murmu will also hold bilateral meetings with her Mauritius counterpart Prithvirajsing Roopun and PM Jugnauth.

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

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

She will pay homage to Mauritian leaders at the Pamplemousses Botanical Garden and also visit historical and cultural sites.

This includes visits to 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.