Mauritius PM meets with UP CM Adityanath, Governor Patel

Visiting Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth on Friday met with Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath here and discussed investment and business opportunities in the state.

The aspects of connecting Bhojpuri-speaking people of Mauritius to the tourist centres of Uttar Pradesh and expanding the export of GI-tagged (geographical indication) and other products here were also discussed in the meeting, official sources said.

Adityanath felicitated Jugnauth with an 'angavastram' prepared by Kashi artisans.

A grand wooden model of the Ram temple was also gifted to him before Jugnauth left for the airport, concluding his visit to Varanasi.

The Mauritian prime minister, along with his wife Kobita Jugnauth, visited the Kashi Vishwanath Temple on Thursday evening. They also took a tour of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor.

During his meeting with Jugnauth, Adityanath praised his father and former prime minister of Mauritius Sir Anerood Jugnauth for keeping the friendly ties between India and Mauritius intact.

''People of Mauritius consider India as the land of their ancestors. The culture of Mauritius and India is similar. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India and Mauritius can move ahead in development. Uttar Pradesh can play a leading role in the economy of India and Mauritius,'' the chief minister said.

Adityanath also urged people of Mauritius to visit India.

''A large number of people from India visit Mauritius for tourism. Tourists from Mauritius come to Kashi, Ayodhya, Prayagraj and Kushinagar in large numbers. Along with tourism, there is scope for investments in other fields as well. People and businesses of Mauritius are welcome here in Uttar Pradesh,'' he said.

Emphasising on sugarcane development, Adityanath said, ''It was for sugarcane cultivation that people from Uttar Pradesh had gone to Mauritius. Uttar Pradesh and Mauritius can work together on sugarcane research and technology.'' The chief minister said the ancestors of a large number of people of Mauritius used to live in Uttar Pradesh, and his government would extend all possible help to connect them with the land of their ancestors.

Jugnauth said India and Mauritius have an ''emotional attachment'', and both the countries can take the scope of development further.

''Sugar is the main source of the economy in Mauritius,'' the prime minister said as he laid emphasis on working together in the sugar sector. He also invited people from India to invest in his country.

Jugnauth said he had last visited Kashi three years ago, and this time around, he found phenomenal development in the region. His meeting with the chief minister lasted for around 50 minutes.

Pravind Jugnauth's ancestors were from Ballia district in Uttar Pradesh.

On Thursday morning, he had immersed his father's ashes in the Ganges amid the chanting of Vedic mantras.