New Delhi | President Droupadi Murmu will undertake a three-day state visit to Mauritius beginning Monday, primarily to grace the island nation's National Day celebrations as the chief guest.
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) 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.
"President of India Droupadi Murmu, will undertake a state visit to the Republic of Mauritius from March 11 to 13 to attend the National Day celebrations of Mauritius on March 12 as the chief guest," the MEA said.
"A contingent of the Indian Navy will participate in the celebrations along with two ships of the Indian Navy's first training squadron -- INS Tir and CGS Sarathi," it 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 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 a number of historical and cultural sites, including the Aapravasi Ghat, where Indian indentured labourers first arrived in Mauritius.
She is also scheduled to visit the Intercontinental Slavery Museum and the sacred Ganga Talao.
Additionally, she will address Mauritian youths at the University of Mauritius and socio-cultural organisations, members of the Indian diaspora and the Indian community at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute, the MEA said in a statement.
