Joint Press Release: European Union (EU)-Mauritius first Partnership Dialogue: Towards a new partnership, a joint agenda
Mauritius and the EU took note of the progress achieved since the last Dialogue in 2022 in their diplomatic, economic and trade relations in promoting development cooperation, financial governance and investment, maritime and port security, sustainable fisheries as well as regional integration. They also reconfirmed the common values of democracy, rule of law and human rights as guiding principles to their relationship.
In his welcome address, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Honourable Dhananjay Ramful highlighted the rapidly evolving global landscape marked by rising protectionism, trade disruptions and geopolitical tensions. He underlined EU's role as a reliable and longstanding partner for Mauritius. The Minister stated that the Partnership Dialogue was a timely platform to discuss shared priorities such as Climate actions, economic resilience, Maritime security and Innovation. He welcomed enhanced cooperation with the EU and individual EU Member States for an inclusive approach that considers the specific challenges of SIDS like Mauritius.
In his response, the Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Mauritius, H.E. Mr Oskar Benedikt stated:
'We are living in turbulent times; instability is the order of the day and in Europe, we face war and pressure from all sides. In this situation, we must remain reliable partners – this is of utmost importance. The EU-Mauritius relations are based on shared values: democracy, rule of law, human rights, international law, and multilateralism. We are eager to strengthen our relationship, particularly in the areas of democracy, financial matters, climate change, the preservation of Mauritius's natural resources, blue economy, circular economy as well as trade and investment. We are also ready to cooperate in other areas, such as innovation, education, and student exchanges through university partnerships, to include Mauritius in research and innovation networks.'
The following Ministers also addressed the audience on the occasion: Dr. the Hon. A. Boolell, Minister of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries, Dr. the Hon A. Ramtohul, Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation, Hon. D. Damry, Junior Minister of Finance.
Global situation
As it celebrates 25 years of the African Union–European Union Partnership, the EU emphasised that the African Union is a strategic partner for Europe. The EU also underlined that the objectives of the new European Commission for Africa will be a new impetus in their mutual partnership ahead of the next AU-EU Ministerial Meeting in May and the next EU-African Union Summit later this year.
Welcoming the celebrations, Mauritius also reaffirmed support for the African Union's permanent membership in the G20 and called for a stronger AU–EU dialogue on global financial governance and United Nations Security Council reform. Mauritius emphasised the importance of ensuring that Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are not left behind and reiterated its proposal for a tailored Global Gateway mechanism for SIDS with flexible financing and targeted capacity-building.
Mauritius and the EU also discussed about geopolitical developments and expressed concern over the on-going wars and conflicts. They both expressed their commitment to territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of borders, in accordance with the UN Charter. This materialized in joint support on several UN Resolutions.
Financial governance
Both sides reaffirmed their strong commitment to the integrity of the international financial system.
Mauritius reaffirmed its commitment to upholding international financial standards under FATF and the OECD. It underlined the robustness of its anti-avoidance framework and reiterated that Mauritius was rated as 'Compliant' by the OECD Global Forum. Mauritius also proposed the establishment of a structured Mauritius–EU Financial Dialogue Mechanism to promote mutual understanding.
The EU reiterated its support to Mauritius in its objective to enhancing the international stature and repute of the Mauritius International Financial Centre. The EU will support Mauritius efforts to fight money laundering through a new programme to be implemented as from September 2025. The Mauritius side indicated its openness to the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability Framework assessment.
Trade
The EU and Mauritius enjoy deep trade ties. The EU is Mauritius' main trading partner, main source of tourists and main source of foreign direct investment.
Both Parties concurred that it was important to intensify their efforts to complete the negotiations on the deepening of the Economic Partnership Agreement within 2025. Mauritius highlighted the progress achieved so far and requested more flexibility as we progress towards the future agreement which will be the EU's first modern and comprehensive free trade agreement with the Sub-Saharan Africa.
Mauritius also highlighted priority sectors for which EU cooperation would be welcome, such as, Green energy, Ocean economy, Renewable energy, and Infrastructure modernisation and Digital technologies. Mauritius also requested EU assistance to promote technology transfer and expressed appreciation to the EU for the development of Geographical Indications for Mauritius.
Blue economy
Mauritius referred to its transition from a Small Island Developing State to a Large Ocean State and underscored that the Blue Economy is a strategic pillar of its development. Mauritius welcomed EU's long-standing support in the Blue Economy sector and highlighted the importance of sustainable management of marine resources of Mauritius, including value addition in global chains, and ensuring artisanal fisher livelihoods.
Both parties underlined the benefits of the EU-Mauritius Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement for the seafood industry and the promotion of sustainable fisheries management in Mauritius waters.
The EU reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to fighting against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, which also applies to the EU vessels, ensuring that no illegally caught fisheries products end up on the EU market.
Mauritius also reaffirmed its zero-tolerance approach to IUU fishing and called for enhanced EU collaboration on the implementation of the Fisheries Act 2023 and related traceability systems.
Mauritius reaffirmed its commitment to science-based fisheries governance under the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement and regional frameworks such as IOTC and SIOFA. Both Parties underlined their constructive cooperation within the IOTC underlining their strong commitment to the sustainability of resources and the fight against IUU fishing and looked forward to the 29th Session of the IOTC that the European Union will be hosting in La Réunion on 13-17 April.
Making reference to the European comprehensive approach for a sustainable blue economy, the EU confirmed its readiness to support Mauritius in assessing options to update its national strategy on fisheries and the blue economy.
Maritime security
Maritime Security is an area of common interest for the EU and Mauritius as their overall objective is to protect their citizens and economies from the consequences of unlawful intentional acts.
Mauritius reaffirmed its commitment to work closely with the EU to ensure the safety of the Western Indian Ocean and combat threats such as piracy, drug trafficking, and human trafficking.
Mauritius and the EU also highlighted various initiatives starting since 2010 including bilateral agreement with EUNAVFOR Atalanta Operation and the Safe Seas Africa programme. They underlined the importance of enhancing strategic partnerships with international organisations such as the International Maritime Organization, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and INTERPOL as well as with regional organisations such as the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) and Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).
Regional Integration
The EU and Mauritius re-affirmed their commitment to peace, regional integration and multilateralism. The EU is one of the main partners and funders of the Indian Ocean Commission, within which Mauritius is very active.
Mauritius reaffirmed its commitment to regional integration through its engagement in the IOC, IORA, SADC, and COMESA. Mauritius welcomed the EU's support across several projects and emphasised the need for improved alignment with national priorities and better integration of SIDS-specific challenges within EU programming under NDICI–Global Europe.
EU Global Gateway
The EU presented the Global Gateway, Europe's offer for connecting the world with investments and partnerships. The initiative combines grants, concessional loans as well as guarantees to de-risk private sector investments to support a strong, inclusive, green and digital recovery and transformation worldwide. The EU underscored that the implementation of the EUR 150 billion- Global Gateway Africa-Europe Investment Package that was announced at the EU-AU Summit in 2022 has progressed significantly. The EU presented the numerous potential sectors where this initiative could be considered in Mauritius including water, energy, the port, and the circular economy. The EU also presented the new EUR 3 million programme to support the national authorities in the implementation of their national roadmap on Circular Economy. The Rodrigues airport modernisation is a concrete example of a Global Gateway Initiative, where EU grant is mobilised to support investment in infrastructural needs.
Mauritius welcomed the Global Gateway as a key enabler of sustainable infrastructure, clean energy, and digital transformation. Mauritius called for structured engagement with EU institutions such as the European Investment Bank and proposed the establishment of a dedicated Mauritius–EU Task Force to fast-track project implementation.
Research, Innovation and Artificial Intelligence
Mauritius reiterated its ambition to become a regional innovation hub, highlighting its National AI Strategy, investment in digital public services, and an eventual Centre of Excellence in AI. Mauritius called for expanded cooperation under Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ and proposed the creation of an EU–Mauritius Innovation Platform.
The EU welcomed Mauritius's vision and confirmed its willingness to support research partnerships and academic collaboration, and AI governance through initiatives such as Horizon Europe.
Participants on Mauritius side: Hon. D. Ramful, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Dr. the Hon. A. Boolell, Minister of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries, Dr. the Hon A. Ramtohul, Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation, Hon. D. Damry, Junior Minister of Finance, in the presence of Dr. the Hon. J. Jeetun, Minister of Financial Services and Economic Planning, Hon. A. Navarre-Marie, Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare. Senior officials from different Ministries also attended.
Participants on the EU side: The EU Ambassador was accompanied by 7 Ambassadors from 7 Member States (Belgium, Germany, Ireland, France, Poland, Portugal, and Sweden) as well as representatives from two Member States (Czech Republic and Spain).
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Mauritius and the Republic of Seychelles.
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