A reception to celebrate the National Day of Russia, commemorated each year on 12 June, was held, on Saturday evening, by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia, Mr Konstantin Klimovskiy, at the Embassy of the Russian Federation, in Floréal.
The President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Prithvirajsing Roopun; the Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth; the Vice-President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Marie Cyril Eddy Boissezon; the Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Sooroojdev Phokeer; several Ministers and Members of the Diplomatic Corps were present.
At the very outset, President Roopun offered a toast to the prosperity of the people of Russia while Mr Klimovskiy toasted to the happiness and prosperity of Mauritius.
In his address, the Ambassador recalled that even if the year 2021 turned out to be difficult due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in the world, measures were promptly taken by the Government of Mauritius to control the spread of this dangerous disease as well as to significantly limit the consequences through the introduction of severe sanitary measures.
Speaking about the bilateral relations between Russia and Mauritius, Mr Klimovskiy outlined some assistance given by Russia, namely: the provision of some 120, 000 doses of the first and second components of Sputnik V vaccines against COVID-19; the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding as regards fisheries in September 2021 as well as other signatures of agreements in the sector of tourism, sports, and higher education which are being finalised.
In addition, he expressed hope that this bilateral cooperation will be further strengthened next year when the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries will be celebrated.
Speaking of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, the Russian Ambassador underlined that Mauritius will become more resilient in the face of a serious economic crisis in the world by means of a thoughtful economic policy. As regards budget 2022-23, he indicated that the budget has taken into account the extremely difficult circumstances and offered a number of measures as well as targeted social support for the population.
Ambassador Klimovskiy highlighted that Russia extends its hands of friendship to Mauritius and expressed hope for mutually beneficial relations between Russia and Mauritius as regards cooperation and progress.
