PM Modi meets Mauritius counterpart in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met his Mauritius counterpart Navinchandra Ramgoolam in his parliamentary constituency ahead of bilateral talks between the two leadersThe two leaders warmly greeted each other and shook handsEarlier amid the sound of drums and conch shells Modis convoy entered the city around 1130 amAt several intersections along the route BJP leaders party workers and local residents lined up to welcome him chanting Har Har MahadevIn some places people showered flower petals while a few were also seen carrying Mauritius flagsThe prime minister landed at Babatpur airport from Delhi where he was received by Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath From there he proceeded to the Varanasi police lines before travelling by car to Hotel Taj the venue of his scheduled bilateral meeting with the Mauritius prime ministerModi and Ramgoolam are expected to hold discussions on crucial matters of bilateral cooperation with a particular focus on development partnership and capacity building according to an official statementThey will also explore collaboration in health education science and technology energy infrastructure as well as in emerging domains such as renewable energy digital public infrastructure and the blue economy it addedThe visit builds on the momentum generated by Modis state visit to Mauritius in March 2025 during which the two leaders elevated the relationship to an enhanced strategic partnershipRamgoolam arrived in Varanasi on Wednesday and was received by Governor Patel and Finance Minister Suresh Khanna He is scheduled to attend the Ganga aarti on Thursday evening and visit the Kashi Vishwanath temple on Friday morning before his departureBJP leaders said this will be the first bilateral meeting of the prime minister with a head of state in Kashi Modi had earlier hosted French President Emmanuel Macron in 2018 and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022 in Varanasi but those were not formal bilateral meetingsThe city has been decked up with large hoardings and banners welcoming the visiting dignitary while BJP banners also thanked Modi for the recent slash in GST on milk and dairy products A threelayer security cover has been thrown in for the highprofile visit police saidThursdays trip marks Modis 52nd visit to Varanasi since 2014 when he was first elected from the constituency as Lok Sabha MP according to party office bearersThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever