New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritius counterpart Pravind Jugnauth today jointly inaugurated the new Supreme Court building in the island nation that has been built with India’s assistance.
The building is first India assisted infrastructure project within the capital city of Port Louis to be inaugurated after the Covid pandemic, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
The landmark project has been completed with grant assistance of USD 28.12 million from the Government of India, it said.
Speaking on the occasion, PM Modi said the new Supreme Court Building in Port Louis is a symbol of “our cooperation and our shared values.”
“Both India and Mauritius respect our independent judiciaries as important pillars of our democratic systems. This impressive new building, with its modern design and construction, is a mark of this respect,” PM said while virtually addressing the inauguration ceremony that was attended by dignitaries from both the countries.
The PM noted the importance of human-centric approach as the underlying philosophy of India’s development cooperation and commended the role of people-oriented infrastructure projects in further cementing the close ties between India and Mauritius.
He said the new Supreme Court building with modern design and state-of-the-art facilities will be a fitting seat for the Mauritius judiciary. He also pointed out that the project had been completed on schedule and at a cost below initial estimates.
While underlining that the development cooperation with Mauritius is at the heart of India’s approach to development partnerships, the Prime Minister stressed that India’s development cooperation does not come with any conditions, nor is it influenced by any political or commercial considerations.
“India’s core principle for development cooperation is respect for our partners and the central motivation is sharing of our development lessons,” he said.
This, he emphasized, distinguishes the Indian development cooperation as marked by the core values of ‘Respect’, ‘Diversity’, ‘Care for the Future’, and ‘Sustainable Development’.
Noting that India takes pride in the achievements of the people of Mauritius, Modi expressed his confidence that the India-Mauritius partnership is destined to soar even higher in the coming years.
On the occasion, Mauritius PM Jugnauth expressed his deep appreciation for India’s support for the project as reflective of the close ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. He noted that the construction of the Supreme Court Building with Indian assistance is a new milestone in the modernization of infrastructure in Mauritius and will help make the Mauritius justice system more efficient, accessible and inclusive.
The PMO further stated that the new Supreme Court building is in line with India’s vision of ‘SAGAR – Security and Growth for All in the Region’, and it demonstrates India’s role as a reliable partner of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean region as also India’s steadfast commitment to strengthen the future-oriented partnership between the two countries.
“With Mauritius, we share not only the waters of the Indian Ocean, but also a common heritage of kinship, culture and language,” PM Modi said in his address.
In his address, the PM also mentioned the landmark Metro project and a new state-of-the-art hospital that was jointly inaugurated only a few months back.
-ARK
