The prime minister will meet Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag and Premier Anerood Jugnauth after arriving in the Mauritian capital Port Louis later today.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday arrived in Mauritius from Seychelles on the second leg of his three-nation tour that will also take him to Sri Lanka.
Modi will meet Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag and Premier Anerood Jugnauth in the Mauritian capital Port Louis later today.
Jugnauth will host a state banquet for Modi this evening.
Modi will be the Chief Guest at the Independence Day celebrations in Mauritius tomorrow - March 12 - a date which is special to all Indians because Mahatma Gandhi began his Dandi March on this day in 1930.
"My visit to Mauritius will aim to strengthen our age-old civilisational ties with 'Chhota Bharat'. I am honoured to be invited to address the National Assembly of Mauritius," Modi had said in a pre-departure statement in New Delhi yesterday.
21:07 IST Wednesday, 11 March 2015
Modi meets President of Mauritius, Rajkeswur Purryag
16:24 IST Wednesday, 11 March 2015
Modi's Seychelles visit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, writing in the visitor's book at the State House, Victoria, on Wednesday said that the people of Seychelles have made him feel like 'one of their own', adding that India considers the island nation as a trusted neighbour and strategic partner.
"Though this is my first visit to Seychelles, the people of Seychelles have made me feel like one of their own. I have been deeply touched by their warmth and affection towards me. This is the first visit by an Indian prime minister in over three decades. Yet, President Michel and I were able to strike a rapport as if we were old friends," he wrote.
"I am impressed by President Michel's vision. India considers Seychelles not only as a maritime neighbour but as a trusted friend and a strong strategic partner. This visit has deepened our mutual trust and taken our cooperation to a new level. The beauty of this 'Paradise on Earth' will remain with me forever," he added.
Cementing its strategic partnership with Seychelles, India on Tuesday signed four agreements with the Indian Ocean island nation to boost security and maritime partnership. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a brief visit on the first leg of his three-nation tour, today held talks with Seychelles President James Alix Michel and said Seychelles "is a vital partner in our Indian Ocean neighbourhood".
"Short it may be, but this visit has been very productive. It is no surprise that Seychelles is my first destination in the Indian Ocean Region," Modi, the first Prime Minister to visit Seychelles in 34 years, said. Late premier Indira Gandhi had visited the country in 1981. Meeting the press after his meeting with Michel, Modi announced that India will give a second Dronier aircraft to the country.
16:26 IST Wednesday, 11 March 2015
Modi and Michel witnessed the signing of four agreements: cooperation in hydrography, renewable energy, infrastructure development and sale of navigation charts and electronic navigational charts. "Our agreement today on hydrographic survey adds a new dimension to our maritime cooperation. I thank Seychelles for their confidence in India," Modi said. Read more
India will be leasing the Assumption Island, one of the 115 islands that constitute the Seychelles. On paper, the island will be leased for ‘island development’ for tourism purposes, but in actuality, it could be put to use as a listening and surveillance post. This arrangement is similar to that with the Mauritius authorities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently on a day long visit to the Seychelles, spoke of the agreements signed between the two sides with respect to Assumption Island. “Our agreement today on the development of infrastructure in the Assumption Island gives a strong boost to this partnership,” Prime Minister Modi said here.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here in the Seychelles' capital late on Tuesday night on the first leg of his three-nation tour that will also take him to Mauritius and Sri Lanka, observing that strong relations with Indian Ocean island countries were "vital" for India's security and progress.
Modi was flown to the Seychelles' capital by a special Air India flight after nearly six-hour journey. Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to travel to Seychelles in 33 years, said his visit to the three Indian Ocean island countries "reflects our foreign policy priorities in India's immediate and extended neighbourhood". "India's relationship with Seychelles has been built on the foundation of mutual trust and shared values...I am keenly looking forward to my meeting with President James Michel, a great friend of India," he had said in a pre-departure statement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Victoria, has begun discussions with Seychelles President James Michel for India and the island nation to engage in maritime security, with a focus on greater cooperation with respect to anti-piracy measures. "Prime Minister Modi begins his visit to the Indian Ocean island nations with discussions with the President of Seychelles. A substantive element of their discussions is 'Blue Economy'. India and Seychelles are also working on maritime security, better cooperation in anti-piracy measures and are engaged in working towards renewable energy," Ministry of External affairs official spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said.
"India has a strong and historical connection with the Indian Ocean islands nations. In recent times, new elements have been added to these connections. The maritime neighbours need to meet, interact and cooperate often," he added. Akbaruddin further said that Prime Minister Modi is later scheduled to unveil a radar system, which would enable Seychelles with its security.
09:09 IST Wednesday, 11 March 2015
"India and Seychelles have been working together on maritime security for some time. The Prime Minister today will unveil yet another aspect on maritime security co-operation between our two nations, when he will unveil a radar system, which will enable Seychelles to have a greater understanding of its environment. This radar system is a system which will enable Seychelles to access the moves of unsavoury elements in the region," he said. Read more
Modi is accompanied by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar. After Seychelles, the Prime Minister would visit Mauritius on March 11-12. He will undertake his visit to Lanka on March 13-14.
Modi said that India "attaches paramount importance to strengthening relations with this region, which is vital for India's security and progress". As his visit to the three island countries comes against the backdrop of China's increasing focus on the Indian Ocean region, Modi is expected to renew the country's commitment to the ocean economies where India envisages its role as a net security provider.
Modi, who will also be the first Indian Prime Minister to travel to Sri Lanka in 28 years, is expected to tap into the "substantive" goodwill and historical linkages between India and the three Indian Ocean economies which offer new possibilities of cooperation in defence and economic spheres. The Prime Minister also said that India had strong, multifaceted and important relationship with each of the three countries he is visiting, observing,"they all occupy a very important place in our foreign policy."
After Seychelles, the Prime Minister would visit Mauritius where he will be the Chief Guest at the Independence Day celebrations on March 12, a date he called special to all Indians because Mahatma Gandhi began his Dandi March on the same date in 1930.
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