"In the face of the lingering and coarser geopolitical and geo economic landscapes, the daunting challenge for Mauritius will be to maintain resilience, sustain growth and above all ensure the well being of our citizens", stated the Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Alan Ganoo, today, in Mont Choisy.
He was speaking at a Vin d'honneur organised for members of the diplomatic corps, at Mont Choisy Le Golf Restaurant.
Minister Ganoo dwelt on key developments of 2022 adding that the support of all diplomats have been integral in confronting challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and soaring prices of fuel, amongst others. He underlined that building resilience to the country's vulnerabilities as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) is key to defining our diplomatic actions in the pursuit of our key goals.
These goals, he said, include post-COVID-19 recovery, consolidation of the brand image and reputation of Mauritius on the international tourism market, energy and green transition, digitalisation of our economy, securing financing for sustainable development and global security, including maritime security.
"The sheer number of ongoing crises calls for bold collective and inclusive action at all levels, be it national, regional and multilateral", he indicated. According to him, the focus will be on upscaling our bilateral relations with a new impulse on broadening and deepening the areas of cooperation with our bilateral partners.
"We will at the same time target new bilateral partnerships, whilst continuing to leverage the advantages of our common membership in major international and regional organisations, such as the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, the African Union, the Commonwealth and the Francophonie and, hopefully, others such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation", he stated.
Minister Ganoo also spoke of the need to strengthen cooperation with neighbouring countries namely Reunion Island, Madagascar, Seychelles and Comoros. "We look forward to hosting the Joint Meeting of the Coordinators in 2023 ahead of the Commission Mixte in 2024", he added.
At the regional level, he said, our diplomacy will work hand in glove with all our partners to ensure that the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, Southern African Development Community, Indian Ocean Rim Association and Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) are able to deliver on their respective mandate and mission. Mauritius will have the privilege of assuming the chairmanship of the IOC this year and we look forward to this responsible role with a sense of humility and determination, Minister Ganoo affirmed.
In line with our continental engagements, he stated that our outlook into Africa will be a key pillar of overall development strategy adding that the objective will be to reinforce political, economic, social and cultural relations and foster partnerships for more economic opportunities. Mauritius, he stressed, will establish a more robust diplomatic presence on the African Continent with the appointment of more Honorary Consuls in countries of priorities.
Minister Ganoo also spoke of the country's commitment to the African Union and Agenda 2063. He highlighted the interest of Mauritius to host one of the Regional Centres of Regulatory Excellence of the African Medicines Agency (AMA), in line with the ambition of the Government to develop a pharmaceutical and biotechnological industry in Mauritius.
"In 2022, we also worked hard in our efforts to further deepen our bilateral interactions with our partners in Asia and the Middle-East namely India, Pakistan, the People's Republic of China, and Japan amongst others", he indicated. The need to formulate a coherent Asia Strategy with a view to enhance relations with emerging countries in the continent such as Indonesia, and Vietnam, was also underlined by the Minister.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Mauritius and the European Union share excellent relations, he said, adding that the partnership is premised on friendship and a legacy of common values, cooperation and enhanced economic and trade relations. "We will pursue our collaboration with the European traditional partners and explore possible avenues of cooperation with new partners in Europe with a view to reaching out to traditional and new emerging markets", he stated.
Mauritius, he added, is keen to expand its longstanding and excellent relationship with the European Union at all possible levels and within the Cotonou Partnership Agreement and its successor agreement.
In view to further enhance bilateral ties and cooperation , Minister Ganoo indicated that his Ministry will continue its role as a main facilitator for the implementation of the foreign policy of Mauritius. On this note, he expressed his appreciation for the diplomatic corps who are working hand in hand with Mauritius towards achieving shared objectives and ambitions.
