Mauritius and the European Union (EU) have been collaborating for the past 51 years and the first EU assistance was towards the Faculty of Agriculture in 1971. Over the years, EU and Mauritius have become reliable and longstanding partners. The EU is now extending its support to the heath sector and working on increasing the number of bed capacity in the Intensive Care Unit.
The above statement was made by the EU Ambassador, Mr Vincent Degert, on Monday evening, at a reception to mark Europe Day, at the EU Residence, The Vale. The President, Mr Prithvirajsing Roopun; the Vice-President, Mr Eddy Boissezon; the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth; the Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Alan Ganoo; members of Diplomatic Corps and other personalities were present.
In his address, Mr Degert commended the Mauritian Government for having successfully implemented the national policy to fight the COVID-19 pandemic while adding that the EU and its members have actively supported Government to this end. Both countries, he stated, are currently working on several issues to address current and future challenges, namely climate change, food and maritime security, and building resilience against other types of human diseases as well as cyber security. Agriculture, fisheries, trade and investments are also on the agenda, he added.
Speaking of the tourism sector, he assured that EU will continue to mobilise financial and technical resources to build strong partnership with stakeholders for the rapid recovery of the sector.
The EU Ambassador also lauded the Government for the implementation of the FATF Action Plan while highlighting that EU has helped Mauritius to meet the FATF requirements and exit the EU list of high risk countries. He reiterated EU’s support to Mauritius to continue building its AML/CFT regime.
Mr Degert expressed his gratitude to the Government for its vote in favour of Ukraine at the United Nations General Assembly and is hopeful for peace and unity to reign across the globe. He reaffirmed EU’s commitment to further the collaboration with Mauritius for a more secured and prosperous future of both countries.
A video, aiming to illustrate the diversity of the EU-Mauritius partnership, was also presented on the occasion. It is recalled that Europe Day, celebrating peace and unity in Europe, is held annually on 09 May to mark the anniversary of the historic ‘Schuman declaration’.
