New Delhi:
Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag on Thursday began a week-long visit to India that will see the two countries scaling up their bilateral ties across the spectrum including trade, investment and cultural ties.
Purryag, of Indian origin, was warmly received by Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur. He is accompanied by his spouse Aneetah Purryag and senior ministers dealing with arts and culture, social integration and economic empowerment.
Purryag, better known as Kailash, will meet his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee and hold talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday.
The talks are expected to cover a host of issues including enhanced trade and investment, counter-piracy cooperation and cultural ties.
Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid will call on President Purryag Friday.
The Mauritius president will be the chief guest at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) celebration in Kochi from January 7-9.
He will also visit Patna, Tirupati and Kochi. In Bihar, he will visit his ancestral village, Bojeetpore near Patna.
Persons of Indian origin account for over 60 per cent of the 1.3 million people in Mauritius.
Mauritius is the single largest FDI source for India, accounting for over 42 per cent of FDI equity flows into the country.