Port Louis [Mauritius], March 12 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the Highest National Award of Mauritius, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean

Thousands of people gathered at the venue, braving the heavy rain to see their leader accept the award on the National Day.

'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 said while receiving the award.

https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1899742949782557023

In a historic gesture, the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Navinchandra Ramgoolam, announced the highest award for PM Modi. Only five foreign dignitaries have got this title and among them is Nelson Mandela who received it in 1998. This becomes the 21st international award bestowed upon PM Modi by a country.

PM Modi dedicated the award to the Indians who migrated to Mauritius and contributed to the nation's vibrant diversity.

'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,' he said.

PM Modi further said that he was committed to enhance India Mauritius Strategic Partnership to greater heights.

'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,' he said.

Earlier, PM Modi discussed with Mauritius PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam the full range of India-Mauritius friendship. They raised the partnership between both nations to to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership.

https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1899730151950217460

'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. We also want to cover more ground in areas like AI, capacity building and sustainable growth,' he said in a post on X. (ANI)