Port Louis, Mar 13: Mauritius Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful on Thursday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi, crediting him for India's rapid rise enroute to becoming the world's third-largest economy in the near future.

"India is on track to become the third-largest global economy and this is largely thanks to PM Narendra Modi's leadership. India is not only emerging as an economic powerhouse but also as a superpower. In the coming years, all eyes will be on India, and we are deeply honoured to have such a privileged relationship with the country," Ramful told IANS in an exclusive interview in Port Louis.

PM Modi returned to New Delhi early Thursday after concluding a landmark State Visit to Mauritius during which he attended the National Day celebrations of the Indian Ocean nation as the Chief Guest for the second time, an honour he first received in 2015.

During the celebrations, Mauritius President Dharambeer Gokhool also conferred the 'Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean' (GCSK) award, the highest civilian award of Mauritius, on Prime Minister Modi, the first time that an Indian leader has received the honour.

Ramful also highlighted the growing partnership between India and Mauritius, noting the deep-rooted civilizational connect between the two countries.

“India has always been the first responder in many of our projects. The need for a new Parliament in Mauritius is high on our agenda, and India has been instrumental in supporting us,” he said.

Praising PM Modi’s 'Viksit Bharat' vision, Ramful said, “PM Modi has introduced several successful initiatives during his tenure, and I’m confident that his ‘Viksit Bharat’ vision will be just as successful.”

He also spoke on China's expanding influence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

"China is primarily an economic partner, but we’ve always relied on India for security in the Indian Ocean. Recently, we signed an MOU with India to share maritime information, further strengthening our partnership. I don’t believe China will have any significant influence over the strong relationship we share with India," said the Mauritian Foreign Minister.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi and Mauritius PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam had expressed satisfaction over their comprehensive discussions on the entire gamut of bilateral relations and agreed that their special and close bilateral partnership has acquired significant strategic depth after being raised to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership.

The 'India-Mauritius Joint Vision for an Enhanced Strategic Partnership' released on the second and final day of PM Modi's landmark State Visit to the Indian Ocean archipelago highlighted the special and unique relationship between the two countries that remains unparalleled, given the shared bonds of history, language, culture, heritage, kinship, and values.

During his visit, PM Modi engaged in extensive discussions with the Mauritian leadership to strengthen bilateral ties with talks focusing on enhancing collaboration in key sectors, including infrastructure, housing, digital technology, healthcare, AI and more.

--IANS

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