PM Modi conferred with Mauritius' highest civilian award | Video

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred Mauritius' highest civilian award, “The Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean,” by President Dharam Gokhool on Wednesday at a ceremony in the island nation.

Accepting the award, Modi said, “I express my heartfelt gratitude for being conferred the highest national award of Mauritius. This is not just my honour, it is the honour of 1.4 billion Indians. It is a tribute to the centuries old cultural and historical bonds of kinship between India and Mauritius. It is an acknowledgement of our said commitment to regional peace, progress, security and sustainable development. And it is a symbol of the shared hopes and aspirations of the global south.”

PM Modi is the first Indian to receive the honour. He is visiting the island nation for two days at the invitation of his Mauritian counterpart, Navinchandra Ramgoolam.

India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that ties with the island nation were elevated to the level of a strategic partnership. He said formal delegation-level talks with Mauritius took stock of bilateral relations and development initiatives.

“They have adopted a joint vision for an enhanced strategic partnership. This elevates our partnership to a level of strategic partnership. It is the first such partnership India has concluded with any nation in its neighbourhood,” Misri said.

“There has been an exchange of as many as 8 MoUs. The PM also announced India's support towards construction of new Parliament building in Mauritus,” he added.

In his departure statement, Modi said, “Mauritius is a close maritime neighbour, a key partner in the Indian Ocean, and a gateway to the African Continent. We are connected by history, geography and culture. Deep mutual trust, a shared belief in the values of democracy, and a celebration of our diversity are our strengths. The close and historical people-to-people connect is a source of shared pride.”