The Director General of Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Mr Rémy Rioux, accompanied by the Ambassador of France to Mauritius, Mr Frédéric Bontems, paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, this afternoon, at the New Treasury Building in Port Louis.

In a statement, Mr Rioux highlighted the purpose of his meeting with the Prime Minister, which was to discuss their shared vision and priorities, as well as to provide updates on collaborative efforts. The focal point of our discussion, he asserted, revolved around Mauritius' financial centre which increasingly focuses on climate financing and sustainable development, which channels nearly 10% of foreign investments to Africa through Mauritius. He stressed the importance of this transformation towards sustainable development, emphasising its significance in global investment flows.

Additionally, he said that the discussion addressed strategies for post-COVID reinvestment in sectors such as networking, with a specific focus on reducing losses and enhancing capacity distribution in Rodrigues. He highlighted that technical work, including studies to map Rodrigues' groundwater, was identified as crucial for optimising investments to benefit the local population. Moreover, education and employment, he stressed, have surfaced as primary concerns, resonating with the Prime Minister's agenda and demonstrating his dedication to tackling urgent socio-economic issues.