New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a two-day state visit to Mauritius beginning March 11 to grace the island nation’s national day celebrations as the chief guest.

A contingent of Indian defence forces will also participate in celebrations, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.

PM Modi is travelling to Mauritius at the invitation of Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a state visit to Mauritius on March 11 and 12 to attend the national day celebrations of Mauritius,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing.

The national day celebrations of Mauritius will be on March 12.

An Indian Navy ship will also travel to Mauritius on the occasion.

In Mauritian capital Port Louis, Modi will call on the president of Mauritius and hold wide-ranging talks with Ramgoolam.

India has close and longstanding relations with the island nation in the Western Indian Ocean.

A key reason for the special ties is the fact that Indian origin people comprise nearly 70 per cent of Mauritius’s population of 1.2 million Since 2005, India has been among the largest trading partners of Mauritius. For the financial year 2022-2023, Indian exports to Mauritius was USD 462 million while Mauritian exports to India was USD 91.50 million. The total trade volume was USD 554 million.

Trade has grown by 132 per cent in the last 17 years, from USD 206 million in 2005-06 to USD 554 million in 2022-23, according to official data.

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