India, Sept. 12 -- VARANASI India on Thursday announced a USD 680 million special economic package for Mauritius and signed seven pacts to further expand bilateral ties in several critical sectors with Prime Minister Narendra Modi describing the two countries as not just partners but a family. The seven agreements will facilitate boosting cooperation in areas of education, power, hydrography and space research.

The prime minister said that a free, open, secure, stable and prosperous Indian Ocean is a shared priority of both India and Mauritius. He also said that both sides will work towards enabling bilateral trade in local currencies following successful launch of UPI and RuPay cards in Mauritius.

"In this context, India is fully commi...