Mauritius PM heads to India

New Delhi - India and Mauritius, home to a large Indian diaspora and source of substantial FDI for New Delhi, will ramp up their economic and diplomatic ties during Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam's six-day visit here that begins Monday.

Ramgoolam will be accompanied by a high-level ministerial delegation, senior officials and a business delegation, the external affairs ministry said Saturday while announcing the state visit of the Mauritian prime minister.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will hold talks with his Mauritian counterpart on a wide gamut of bilateral issues, including intensification of trade and investment and deepening of security relations between the two countries.

The two sides are also expected to discuss steps to expand their anti-piracy operations and step up cooperation in issues relating to the Indian Ocean security.

Mauritius, strategically located Indian Ocean island state where persons of Indian origin (PIOs) comprise over 60 percent of the population, has been asking India to play a more active role in fighting piracy in the region as it impacts severely on security, fishing and tourism.

Ramgoolam, an Indian-origin Mauritian leader, will also go to Mumbai to address business leaders and will be the Special Guest of Honour at the convocation ceremony of Kurukshetra University Feb 8, during which a degree of Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) will be conferred on him.

Mauritius continued to be the single largest source of FDI into India, with cumulative FDI equity inflows during the period April 2000-January 2011 amounting to $53.369 billion, which in turn accounts for 41.9 percent of the total FDI into India over this period