Modi assures Sri Lanka and Mauritius continued support to fight COVID-19,

New Delhi, May 23, 2020

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today assured India’s continuing support to Sri Lanka and Mauritius in the fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Modi spoke to Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth on the telephone regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and its likely health and economic impacts in the region.

He assured both leaders that India would continue to provide all possible support to them for mitigating the effects of the pandemic.

Rajapaksa briefed Modi on the steps being taken by his Government to restart economic activity. In this context, both leaders agreed on the need to accelerate Indian-assisted development projects in Sri Lanka. They also discussed the possibilities of promoting investments and value-addition in Sri Lanka by the Indian private sector.

Jugnauth conveyed his condolences for the losses caused in India by cyclone Amphan. He thanked Modi for sending the Indian Naval Ship Kesari to Mauritius as part of 'Operation Sagar', with a consignment of medicines and a 14-member medical team to help the Mauritian health authorities fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Modi referred to the special people-to-people ties between India and Mauritius and said India is duty-bound to support its friends during this time of crisis. He conveyed his appreciation for the effective COVID-19 response mounted by Mauritius under Prime Minister Jugnauth's leadership, which has resulted in no new cases being reported for several weeks.

He suggested that Mauritius could document its best practices, which would be helpful for other countries, especially island countries, in dealing with similar health crises.

The two leaders discussed enhancing cooperation in various areas including measures aimed at supporting the financial sector of Mauritius and enabling Mauritian youth to study Ayurvedic medicine.

NNN