PM Modi to virtually launch several infrastructure projects with Mauritius counterpart Jugnauth

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the execution of Small Development Projects will also be exchanged at the virtual conference, which is set to take place on January 20, according to the MEA.  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth will virtually open the India-assisted Social Housing Units project in Mauritius on Thursday. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, both leaders will jointly open the Social Housing Unit, Civil Service College, and 8MW Solar PV Farm projects in Mauritius. The agreement on the $190 million Line of Credit from India to Mauritius for the Metro Express Project and other infrastructure projects would be extended during the conference.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the execution of Small Development Projects will also be exchanged at the virtual conference, which is set to take place on January 20, according to the MEA.

This comes in the wake of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's tour to Indian Ocean countries such as Sri Lanka, Comoros, and the Maldives, during which the Chinese side disclosed several business initiatives.

Mauritius is an essential aspect of India's "Neighborhood First" strategy, and New Delhi has provided funding for various initiatives on the African island nation. India also sent vaccinations and medical supplies to Mauritius during the early stages of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Last February, India and Mauritius signed a free trade deal to make the island nation a centre for Indian investments in the area, and New Delhi offered a $100 million line of credit to cover purchases of defence gear. At the time, the two parties also agreed to lease a Dornier aircraft and a Dhruv advanced light helicopter for monitoring Mauritius' exclusive economic zone. The comprehensive economic cooperation and partnership agreement (CECPA) between India and Mauritius was the nation's first free trade pact with an African country.