On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean, the highest national award of Mauritius, on the country’s National Day.
Despite heavy rainfall, thousands of people gathered to witness the prestigious moment as PM Modi accepted the honor.
In his acceptance speech, PM Modi expressed deep gratitude for receiving the award.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated, “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.”
Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam presented the award in a historic gesture.
PM Modi is the latest foreign dignitary to receive this award, joining the ranks of five others, including Nelson Mandela, honored in 1998.
This marks the 21st international award received by PM Modi.
In his speech, PM Modi dedicated the award to the Indian migrants who contributed to the cultural diversity of Mauritius.
“I accept this award with filled humility and gratitude. I dedicate it to your ancestors who came from India to Mauritius centuries ago and to all their generations. Through their hardwork, they wrote a golden chapter in the development of Mauritius and contributed to its vibrant diversity,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted.
The Prime Minister also reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening the India-Mauritius Strategic Partnership.
“I also embrace this honour as a responsibility and reaffirm our commitment that we will continue to make every effort to enhance India Mauritius Strategic Partnership to greater heights,” PM Modi asserted.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi had discussions with Mauritius PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam about the full spectrum of India-Mauritius relations.
Taking to X, PM Modi posted, “On the special occasion of Mauritius’ National Day, I had the opportunity to meet my good friend, PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam and discuss the full range of India-Mauritius friendship. We have decided to raise our partnership to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership.”
“We talked about how we can work together in areas such as infrastructure, housing, digital technology, health and more. Also want to cover more ground in areas like AI, capacity building and sustainable growth,” the post added.
On the special occasion of Mauritius’ National Day, I had the opportunity to meet my good friend, PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam and discuss the full range of India-Mauritius friendship. We have decided to raise our partnership to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership.
We talked about… pic.twitter.com/DvNDUy7ML4
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 12, 2025
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