President Droupadi Murmu is on a three-day visit to Mauritius beginning Monday during which she will be the chief guest at the country's National Day celebrations on Tuesday.
Upon her arrival, she was received by Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth. She will also hold talks with the country's top leadership during the visit to further consolidate India's relations with the Indian Ocean island nation.
"President Droupadi Murmu @rashtrapatibhvn arrives in Mauritius on a 3-day State Visit," the Ministry of External Affairs posted on X. "In a special gesture reflecting the exceptionally close ties between &, PM @KumarJugnauth welcomed President Murmu at the airport with full state honours," it said.
A contingent of the Indian Navy will also participate in the celebrations along with two ships -- INS Tir and CGS Sarathi. Announcing the visit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi said President Murmu will hold bilateral meetings with her Mauritian counterpart Prithvirajsing Roopun and Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth.
In addition, Murmu will meet the Speaker of the Mauritius National Assembly, the Chief Justice of the Mauritian Supreme Court and important Mauritian leaders, the MEA said.
Murmu and Jugnauth will jointly inaugurate 14 India-assisted projects, showcasing the growing expanse and multi-faceted nature of New Delhi's vibrant development partnership with Mauritius that constitutes a "key pillar" of the bilateral relationship, it said.
The MEA said the president will also witness the exchange of important bilateral agreements that seek to further strengthen the robust bilateral institutional collaboration and capacity-building cooperation between the two countries.
"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," the MEA said.
"It reaffirms the continued commitment of both the countries to further strengthening the bilateral relationship across all sectors and deepening our close people-to-people ties," it said.
Murmu will also pay homage to Mauritian leaders at the Pamplemousses Botanical Garden and visit several historical and cultural sites, including the Aapravasi Ghat, where Indian indentured labourers first arrived in Mauritius.
(With inputs from PTI)
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