President underlines Mauritius commitment to regional cooperation

GIS -January 5: The President of the Republic, Sir Anerood Jugnauth, underscored the commitment of Mauritius to regional cooperation which has, over the years, been a cornerstone of our foreign policy.

In his address on the occasion of the New Year Reception for the Diplomatic Corps on January 4, 2006 at State House, Le Réduit, Sir Anerood Jugnauth said the sustained and proactive role of Mauritius in organizations such as the Indian Ocean Commission, the Indian Ocean Rim for Regional Cooperation, SADC, COMESA and the African Union is a vivid example of such commitment.

In the wake of the numerous challenges of globalization to small vulnerable island States, the President pointed out that Mauritius was "leaving no stone unturned for further deepening and strengthening of relations with our traditional partners".

He referred to the close historical ties and robust economic partnership existing between Mauritius and India and the ongoing negotiations for concluding a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CEPCA). Similar processes are on with Pakistan, China and Brazil, he said. Mauritius is negotiating for the successful conclusion of a General Cooperation Agreement, based on the CEPCA model with South Africa, Sir Anerood added

The President underlined the efforts of the Government of the People's Republic of China to help Africa in its struggle against poverty through the Addis Ababa Plan of Action 2004-2006. Mauritius, he said, looks forward to the success and positive outcome of the China-Africa Summit to be held in Beijing later this year.

Mauritius continues to accord very high importance to our traditional cooperation with the European Union, said the President. He pointed out that the 36% cut in sugar prices decided by the EU recently would have extremely severe consequences for Mauritius.

"We, however, rely on traditional EU friends, France, UK and others to provide special support that will enable our country to face the new and daunting challenges before us" , Sir Anerood said.

Mauritius is committed to principles of democracy and the smooth running of recent elections at national, municipal council levels bear testimony to it, recalled the President.

"Our commitment does not stop here, as we believe in empowering the people by improving their living conditions" , he said in his concluding remarks.