India determined to eliminate terrorism, piracy: President

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India on Tuesday said it is determined to fight and eliminate the menace of terrorism and piracy in cooperation with international community.

In her address to the National Assembly of Mauritius, President Pratibha Patil said India and Mauritius would have an important role to play in the Indian Ocean region to which both the countries belong to.

"I would also like to say that India values the continued support given by Mauritius to India's concerns and aspirations. We are determined to confront the global menace of terrorism and piracy along with our international partners to eliminate this scourge," Patil, who is on a five-day state visit to Mauritius, said.

The President said India appreciates the unswerving and consistent support of Mauritius to its candidature for permanent membership of an expanded United Nations Security Council.

Maintaining that Mauritius and India are bound together by strong, unbreakable links and will stay together, Patil reaffirmed the commitment of the people of India for welfare, peace, progress and prosperity of Mauritius and its people, and for continuance of their historical partnership towards realisation of the two countries' many objectives and dreams.

The President said India would continue to remain a valued and trusted partner of Mauritius in its multifaceted comprehensive development and would be happy to participate in various aspects of the growth story of Mauritius.

"Our exchange of experience in tackling climate change has been fruitful. Our participation in conceptualising, in elaborating and in tackling the various issues confronting the 21st Century world has been mutually beneficial," she said.

Highly praising the people of Mauritius for carrying forward the torch of progress with democratic values, Patil said the essence of democracy also lies in tolerance and harmony, values which have the ability to weave together the extensive plurality that exists in a country as large and diverse as India into a composite whole.

In her speech at the banquet hosted by Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam last evening, the President said the Indian economy, which touched a growth rate of 8.5 per cent in 2010, is expected to be further strengthened and grow at the rate of 9 per cent in 2011.

"We have an ambitious programme for the expansion of our social and infrastructure sectors. Our large and growing economy offers many opportunities for other countries, as indeed for our traditional friends like Mauritius, with whom we seek to broaden our economic engagement, a fundamental pillar of our strategic partnership," she said.