Saturday, April 2 2005 20:11 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh returned from Mauritius today (Apr 2, 2005) after a four-day visit which marked heralding of a new phase in bilateral ties, including consideration by India for Defence supplies to that country.

The Indian side also promised all assistance to the island nation for its transformation into a knowledge hub in the fields of medicine, engineering and Information Technology during the visit.

A joint statement issued at the end of the visit said India affirmed its total support to the Indian Ocean island nation for the restoration of its sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago.

Singh inaugurated the state-of-the-art 'Cyber Tower', built with Indian assistance, in Port Louis during his stay.