Suitable amendments to the Bilateral Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement are being examined by the India-Mauritius Joint Working Group. It has in recent months met twice – in December 2011 and in August 2012. Both sides have committed themselves to consider adopting amendments or provisions that would prevent any misuse of this treaty. The next meeting is likely to be held this year and the dates are likely to be finalized on this occasion.

The Indian President will be the Chief Guest at the National Day celebrations on the 45th anniversary of Independence of Mauritius on March 12 – an honour similar to that extended by India to any head of state or government of a country to be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade.

President Mukherjee will be in Mauritius at the invitation of the Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Chandra Ramgoolam. This will be Mukherjee’s second official visit abroad after assuming the office of the President of India – the first being recently to Bangladesh.

According the press secretary to the President, Venu Rajamony, President Mukherjee will be accompanied during this visit by the Minister of State for Home Affairs RPN Singh who will be the Minister-in-Waiting and three Members of Parliament – Kusum Rai from the BJP, Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh from the RJD, Shri Satyavrata Chaturvedi from the Indian National Congress after from senior officials of the Government.

President Mukherjee will meet the President of Mauritius Rajkeswar Purryag, Prime Minister of Mauritius Navin Chandra Ramgoolam.

The Speaker of the Mauritius National Assembly, the Chief Justice of Mauritius, and the Leader of the Opposition will call upon him. While the President of Mauritius would be hosting a lunch in his honour, the Prime Minister Navin Chandra Ramgoolam would be hosting a banquet dinner.

President Mukherjee’s visit will also include ceremonial aspects like wreath-laying at the Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Samadhi and at the Apravasi Ghat and garlanding of Mahatma Gandhi statue at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute. He will be conferred a degree of Doctor of Civil Law honoris causa by the University of Mauritius. The President will be accorded a civic reception on the March 13 in which Mauritius President Rajkeswar Purryag and Prime Minister Navin Chandra Ramgoolam will be present.

Mauritius is the gateway to India’s relationship with the African Continent. It is country with 70% population of Indian origin. Situated in the Indian Ocean rim, it is India’s important partner in fight against maritime piracy. Mauritius also hosts the headquarters of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation and the Indian Ocean Commission on its territory. The current Secretary-General of IOR-ARC is from India, and Mauritius has been fully supportive of India’s initiatives in this organization and in this region.

Mauritius has consistently supported India on various issues of strategic importance be it on the issues of CTBT, counterterrorism, permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council, support for membership in the various international organizations.

India is the largest source of imports to Mauritius. India exported goods worth $ 1.4 billion to Mauritius in 2011-12 and imported goods worth $ 40 million from Mauritius.

Mauritius is also the route for about 38% of foreign direct investment equity flows into India. Several Indian public enterprises have their offices in Mauritius, including Bank of Baroda, Life Insurance Corporation, New India Assurance Corporation, India Handloom House, Telecommunication Consultants India Limited, Indian Oil Limited, Mahanagar Telephone Mauritius Limited and State Bank of India.

Under the ITEC programme, India extends technical cooperation to Mauritius. Annually about 110 civilian and 100 defence training slots are being offered to Mauritius. About 30 Mauritius officials from various Ministries and Departments including the Mauritius Police, the Road Development Authority, the Central Electricity Board, and various other Government Departments have visited India under the India-Africa Forum Summit Special Training Programme over the last couple years.

The relationship between India and Mauritius has been unique, special, extraordinary through exchanges of high level visits. The last Presidential visit from India was by President Pratibha Patil was in 2011. President of Mauritius Rajkeswar Purryag visited India in January this year as a state guest, and received the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award and was also the Chief Guest at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas at Kochi.

Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam paid a four-day state visit to India from February 6 to 10, 2012. Five agreements, memoranda of understanding were signed in areas of science and technology, education, sports and youth. An economic support package comprising a line of credit of $ 250 million and a grant of $ 20 million was announced during his visit.

In fact the relationship between India and Mauritius predates the Independence of Mauritius on March 12, 1968. Eight Indian Commissioners were posted to Mauritius between 1948 and 1968.