EU eager to strengthen relationship with Mauritius

The European Union (EU) is eager to expand multilateral cooperation with the island state of Mauritius, located in East Africa, according to a statement, Report informs.

"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," EU Ambassador to the Republic of Mauritius Oskar Benedikt told the EU-Mauritius first Partnership Dialogue meeting.

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.

"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 Sub-Saharan Africa," reads the statement.