Human empowerment, care for environment says PM Modi after jointly inaugurating Mauritius'' new SC

New Delhi, July 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth jointly inaugurated the new Supreme Court build of Mauritius through video conferencing.

Prime Minister, Modi following the inauguration congratulated Mauritius for the fight against COVID-19. India is happy it has been able to help in such trying times. The new Supreme Court building is a symbol of our cooperation, the PM also said.

Both the countries respect the independence of its respective judiciaries, the PM also said.

I am happy that the Supreme Court building has been completed in time, PM Modi also said. It was for the first time that I had said in Mauritius about security and growth in the region. Mauritius is at the heart of India's approach for development partnership, PM Modi also said.

India wants to develop and help others in their own development needs, the PM also said. Our approach to development is human centric. We want to work for the development of humanity, PM Modi also said. India is making development partnerships that are marked by respect, diversity, care for the future, sustainable development, the PM said.

India's development partnerships are diverse- from commerce to culture, energy to engineering, IT to infrastructure, sports to science. India is working with nations across the globe, PM Modi also said.

We have been happy to Nepal and Sri Lanka in the health sector. The oil pipeline project with Nepal will ensure availability of petroleum products. We have tried to make cricket popular in countries such as Afghanistan by helping building stadiums.

India is at the forefront of a major housing project in Sri Lanka, PM Modi said. We consider it our privilege to help create a better future for the youth.

The future is about sustainable development. We believe in human empowerment and care for the environment, the PM also said. With Mauritius we share not only the waters of the Indian Ocean, but also a common heritage of kinship, culture and language.

Based on this philosophy, India made efforts to nurture new institutions like the International Solar Alliance.Let the rays of the sun brighten the journey of human progress. We are also working on a strong Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, the PM also said.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Jugnauth thanked PM Modi for sparing time to be with Mauritius amidst the pandemic. We commend India for working day and night for containing the spread of COVID-19 in India. We also thank the leadership of India and the generosity for assisting several countries including Mauritius in the fight against COVID-19, Jugnauth also said.

The new Supreme Court building is equipped with all the modern equipment needed for speedy justice of delivery, Jugnauth also said.

The building has been constructed with Indian "grant assistance" and will be the first India-assisted infrastructure project within the capital city of Port Louis, the MEA said.

The new Supreme Court building project is one of the five projects being implemented under the ‘Special Economic Packageâ€^TM of USD 353 million extended by India to Mauritius in 2016.

The project has been completed within schedule and below expected costs, the MEA said.

The building is spread over an area of more than 4700 sqm with over 10 floors and a built up area of around 25,000 sqm.

The building flaunts a modern design and green features with focus on thermal and sound insulation and high energy efficiency.

The new building will bring all divisions and offices of the Supreme Court of Mauritius into a single building improving its efficiency.

In October 2019, Prime Minister Modi and the PM of Mauritius had jointly inaugurated the Phase -I of the Metro Express Project and the new ENT Hospital project in Mauritius, also built under the special economic package.

Under Phase-I of the Metro Express project, construction of 12 km of metro-line was completed in September last year, while work on its Phase -2 envisaging 14 km of metro-line is ongoing, the MEA said.

Through the ENT Hospital project, India assisted in construction of a 100-bed state-of-the-art ENT hospital in Mauritius, it said.

The successful and timely completion of India assisted high quality infrastructure projects in Mauritius shall also create greater opportunities for Indian companies in Mauritius and in the region, the MEA said.

The new Supreme Court building will be an important landmark in the city centre symbolising the strong bilateral partnership between the two countries, it said.