Modi, Jugnauth jointly inaugurate new Supreme Court Building in Mauritius

New Delhi, July 30, 2020

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritius counterpart Pravind Jugnauth today jointly inaugurated the new Supreme Court building in Mauritius through video conference.

The building is the first India-assisted infrastructure project within the capital city of Port Louis to be inaugurated after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. The landmark project has been completed with grant assistance of $ 28.12 million from India.

Speaking on the occasion, Modi noted the importance of a 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.

The new Supreme Court building with modern design and state-of-the-art facilities will be a fitting seat for Mauritius judiciary and a symbol of cooperation as well as shared values of India and Mauritius. He also pointed out that the project had been completed on schedule and at a cost below the initial estimates.

He said development cooperation with Mauritius was at the heart of India’s approach to development partnerships. “India’s approach to development is mainly human-centric. We want to work for the welfare of humanity. History has taught us that in the name of development partnerships, nations were forced into dependence partnerships. It gave rise to colonial and imperial rule. It gave rise to global power blocks and humanity suffered.

“India is making development partnerships that are marked by respect, diversity, care for the future and sustainable development,” he added.

“For India, the most fundamental principle in development cooperation is in respecting our partners. This sharing of development lessons is our only motivation. That is why our development cooperation does not come with any conditions. It is not influenced by political or commercial considerations,” Modi said.

Noting that India takes pride in the achievements of the people of Mauritius, he expressed confidence that the India-Mauritius partnership was destined to soar even higher in the coming years.

Modi said India’s development partnerships were diverse. From commerce to culture, Energy to engineering, Health to housing, IT to infrastructure, Sports to science, India was working with nations across the globe. “If India is honoured to help in the Parliament building in Afghanistan, It is also proud to be associated with the making of the Mahatma Gandhi Convention Centre in Niger.

“We have been happy to help Nepal improve its health services through the construction of an emergency and trauma hospital. We were similarly privileged to support Sri Lanka's efforts to establish emergency ambulance services in all nine provinces,” he added.

“We are glad that the oil pipeline project we are doing with Nepal will help ensure the availability of petroleum products. Similarly, we are delighted to contribute towards ensuring the availability of drinking water and sanitation in 34 islands of the Maldives. We have tried to make cricket popular in countries as diverse as Afghanistan and Guyana by helping build stadiums and other facilities.

“We are excited to see the young Afghan cricket team trained in India emerge as a force to reckon with. We are now providing similar support to develop the talent of the Maldives cricket players. We consider it a matter of immense pride that India is at the forefront of a major housing project in Sri Lanka. Our development partnerships reflect the development priorities of our partner nations,” he added.

The Prime Minister pointed out that training and skilling formed an important part of India’s development cooperation to make youngsters in the partner nations self-reliant and more confident in the future.

“The future is about sustainable development. Human needs and aspirations cannot conflict with our natural surroundings. That is why we believe in both human empowerment and care for the environment. Based on this philosophy, India has made efforts to nurture new institutions like the International Solar Alliance. We are also working on a strong Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. Both these initiatives are of special relevance to island countries. The support received from the global community is heartening,” he added.

“With Mauritius, we share not only the waters of the Indian Ocean but also a common heritage of kinship, culture, and language. Our friendship draws strength from the past, and also looks towards the future. India takes pride in the achievements of the people of Mauritius. From the narrow steps of the sacred Aapravasi Ghat to this modern building Mauritius has built its success through hard work and innovation. The spirit of Mauritius is inspiring. Our partnership is destined to soar even higher in the coming years,” Modi said.

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. It will help make the Mauritius justice system more efficient, accessible and inclusive, he added.

In line with India’s vision of ‘SAGAR – Security and Growth for All in the Region’, the new Supreme Court building demonstrates India’s role as a reliable partner of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean region as also India’s steadfast commitment to strengthening the future-oriented partnership between the two countries.

NNN