India president Murmu holds talks with Mauritius PM over deepening ties

FOUR agreements were signed between India and Mauritius on Wednesday (13) in areas such as financial services and avoidance of double taxation in order to propel the two nations' bilateral ties after Indian president Droupadi Murmu held talks with Mauritian prime minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth in Port Louis, the capital of the African island-nation.

Murmu, who was on a three-day visit to Mauritius beginning Tuesday (12), also e-inaugurated 14 community development projects, implemented with grant assistance from India, the country's ministry of external affairs (MEA) said.

The two leaders "jointly laid the foundation stone of the New Forensic Science Laboratory of Mauritius, in virtual mode, to be built with Indian funding assistance," the MEA said in a post on X.

"Adding further impetus to India-Mauritius ties! President Droupadi Murmu @rashtrapatibhvn held delegation-level talks with PM @KumarJugnauth of Mauritius in Port Louis. The two leaders discussed the robust partnership between India & Mauritius and avenues for furthering bilateral cooperation," the ministry added.

Murmu and Jugnauth witnessed the exchange of four memorandums of understanding (MOU) promoting bilateral institutional linkages.

Speaking about the MoUs, the MEA said one of them was signed between the GIFT International Financial Services Centres Authority of India and the Financial Services Commission of Mauritius to foster cooperation in the financial services sector.

It also said a MoU was inked between the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) of India and the Public Service Commission of Mauritius, focusing on the exchange of experiences and expertise in public service recruitment. Furthermore, a protocol has been established to amend the India-Mauritius Double Tax Avoidance Agreement to align it with OECD/G20 Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Minimum Standards, it added.

Moreover, an MoU was also made between the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of India and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) of Mauritius for sharing of information and building of capacity to combat against corruption and money laundering, the MEA said.

Murmu on Tuesday was witness to the 56th National Day celebrations of Mauritius as the chief guest. Mauritius Day marks the country's independence from British rule in 1968 and transitioning to a republic in 1992.

(With PTI inputs)