Mauritius backs India to become UNSC permanent member

The Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) is far-reaching and should unleash new and expanded opportunities in trade, goods and services, said Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth on Monday.

"The Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement is the first of its kind, signed by India with an African country. It is far-reaching and should unleash new and expanded opportunities in trade, goods and services, investment, economic cooperation and technical assistance," said Jugnauth while speaking at the India-Mauritius joint statement along with Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar.

He added, "As India seeks to step her vast and multilayered cooperation with the African continent, for next edition of India-Africa forum Mauritius aspires to play a greater role in these engagements as a gateway between India and Africa."

The CECPA would encourage Indian entrepreneurs to invest in Mauritius and the region, Jugnauth said adding that "this consolidating our ambition of making Mauritius a strategic regional economic hub and a centre of excellence."

Prime Minister Jugnauth congratulated India for becoming a non-permanent member of the Security Council and endorsed India's permanent membership at the council.

"I congratulate India for (its) election as a non-permanent member on the UNSC for a two-year term. In welcoming India's return into the Security Council, we emphatically reiterate our unreserved support for India to serve as a permanent member of the Security Council," he said.

The two leaders -- Jaishankar and Jugnauth -- reiterated the call for peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region and highlighted the "converging views" of New Delhi and Port Louis on a rules-based international order.

"We agreed to continue to work in support of our common interests in an open, prosperous and secure Indian ocean. We have converging views on the need to work together to strengthen the rules-based international order," the Prime Minister said.As frontline states of the Indian Ocean, he said, both India and Mauritius have the common ambition and the responsibility of preserving a safe, secure and prosperous Indian Ocean.

"Ensuring peace and respect for the rule of law in the Indo-pacific region was one of the issues I discussed with Dr Jaishankar. I welcome the renewed commitment of the quad countries (the US, Japan, Australia and India) to upholding a rules-based international order," he said.

( With inputs from ANI )