Union Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India (GoI), was on a 2-day official visit to the Republic of Mauritius from 16th July 2024 to 17th July 2024.
- He was received by Maneesh Gobin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Internal Trade and Attorney General of Mauritius, at the airport in Port Louis, Mauritius.
Significance:
i.This marked his 1st bilateral visit to the Republic of Mauritius after being sworn-in as External Affairs Minister (EAM) of India for 2nd consecutive term.
- He has previously visited Mauritius in February 2021.
ii.EAM S. Jai Shankar also held a bilateral meeting with Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister (PM) of Mauritius, and held separate bilateral meetings with other senior ministers of the Government of Mauritius.
iii.The visit of EAM Dr. S Jaishankar holds a great importance for India-Mauritius bilateral relationship and it reflects India’s ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’, Vision Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR), and commitment to Global South.
Inauguration of 12 High Impact Community Development Project
EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar and Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, PM of Mauritus virtually inaugurated 12 High Impact Community Development Projects financed by India.
- They also handed over Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards to the 7th generation Indian-origin people in Mauritius.
- Leaders of both countries witnessed the exchange of Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) on education, culture, digitisation of Immigration Archives and collaboration in the field of space and innovation.
Inauguration of “Maitree Udyan” in Mauritus
On 16th July 2024, EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar inaugurated the India-Mauritius “Maitree Udyan” and planted a tree in Port Louis, Mauritius. He was accompanied by Maneesh Gobin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Internal Trade, Mauritius.
India’s 1st overseas Jan Aushadhi Kendra Inaugurated in Mauritius
On 17th July 2024, EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar along with Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth inaugurated India’s 1st overseas Jan Aushadhi Kendra in Mauritius.
- He also inaugurated the Mediclinic project at Grand Bois in Mauritius, with financial assistance of India.
- While addressing the event, EAM highlighted that the project will offer secondary healthcare for 16,000 people in the Grand Pois area.
EAM S. Jaishankar reaffirms India’s support to Mauritius on Chagos Archipelago Island
On 16th July 2024, EAM S. Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s support to Mauritius on the issue of Chagos Archipelago, a gesture which was swiftly appreciated by the island nation in the Indian Ocean.
- He also reaffirmed India’s unwavering support to Mauritius in its quest for progress as he held various talks with the country’s leadership to bolster the bilateral ties which are important for the future of the Indian Ocean region.
About Chagos Archipelago:
It is a group of atolls comprising 58 islands which spans over an area of 60 square kilometer (km2). It is located approximately 2200 km north-east of the main island of Mauritius and about 1700 km south west of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
Dispute on Chagos Archipelago:
i.Mauritus has claimed sovereignty over the archipelago and claimed that it has been the part of its territory since at least 18th century.
ii.The United Kingdom(UK) carved out the archipelago from Mauritius as a new “British Indian Ocean Territory(BIOT)”in 1965.
iii.When Mauritius gained independence from the UK in 1968, the UK refused to return the archipelago to Mauritius.
iv.The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2019 dismissed the claim of the UK over Chagos Island and called on its government to withdraw from the archipelago.
About Ministry of External Affairs (MEA):
Union Minister- Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (Rajya Sabha member- Gujarat)
Minister of State (MoS)- Pabitra Margherita (Rajya Sabha member- Assam)
About The Republic of Mauritius:
Capital- Port Louis
Prime Minister (PM)- Pravind Kumar Jugnauth
Currency- Mauritian Rupee (MUR)
