Mauritius PM Ramgoolam Begins 8-Day India Visit, Receives Warm Welcome In Mumbai

(MENAFN- IANS) Mumbai, Sep 9 (IANS) Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday for a State visit to India to further strengthen the Enhanced Strategic Partnership between the two nations.

The Mauritian PM will be in India till September 16. This is his first overseas bilateral visit to India in his present term.

"A visit that will further strengthen the India-Mauritius Enhanced Strategic Partnership. Warm welcome to PM Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam of Mauritius as he arrives in Mumbai on a State Visit to India," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a post on X.

He is scheduled to attend a business event in Mumbai. During his visit to India, Ramgoolam will call on President Droupadi Murmu and hold discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to further the Enhanced Strategic Partnership.

Apart from Mumbai, the Mauritian PM is scheduled to travel to Varanasi, Ayodhya and Tirupati.

Varanasi is all decked up for PM Modi and Mauritian PM Ramgoolam's visit on September 11 with elaborate arrangements and decorations.

Earlier, Ramgoolam had visited India in 2014, as the only non-SAARC leader invited to attend the swearing-in ceremony of PM Modi and the Council of Ministers.

In a press release, the MEA stated, "India and Mauritius share a close and special relationship rooted in shared historical, cultural and people-to-people ties. As India's key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region, Mauritius holds a special place in India's Vision MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Region) and the 'Neighbourhood First Policy' and is a key partner in the Global South."

The ministry said that the Mauritian PM's visit to India, following the visit of PM Modi to the East African nation in March 2025, will advance the "strong and enduring bonds" between the two countries.

PM Modi went to Mauritius in March for a two-day State visit at the invitation of Ramgoolam to attend the country's 57th National Day celebrations.

During the visit, he held a bilateral meeting with Ramgoolam and Mauritian President Dharam Gokhool.

Mauritius was one of the handful of important countries with which independent India established diplomatic relations in 1948, even before the independence of Mauritius.

The relationship has been characterised by a high level of trust and mutual understanding at the leadership level and continued high-level political engagement, according to the MEA.

MENAFN09092025000231011071ID1110035576