A series of activities will be organised from 07 to 10 May 2018 by the European Union (EU) to mark the Europe Week and the 50th anniversary celebrations of Mauritius’s accession to Independence.
The Ambassador of the EU to the Republic of Mauritius, Mrs Marjaana Sall, made this announcement during a joint press statement with the Minister of Arts and Culture, Mr Prithvirajsing Roopun, on 04 May 2018 in Port-Louis.
Ambassador Sall highlighted that the Europe Week is an opportune moment to demonstrate how the EU has been contributing to the development of Mauritius as the country is celebrating its 50 years of Independence. It is an opportunity to showcase our longstanding partnership spanning for more than 40 years and how it evolved to other areas of cooperation based on common values and shared interest, she said.
Speaking about the activities organised, Mrs Sall underlined that the themes reflect the dynamism and diversity of the partnership that is geared towards various areas of cooperation such as trade, investment, research and innovation, and climate change. On that note, she reiterated the commitment of the EU in further consolidating the solid relations with Mauritius through cooperation in common areas of interest namely gender empowerment.
For his part, Minister Roopun highlighted the unflinching support of the EU to sustain the various development phases of Mauritius. He added that the country has largely benefited from preferential trade agreements conferred by the EU and consequently, progressed economically.
The Minister underlined that the EU contributed significantly in the creation of the sugar industry whose stable revenues served to develop the local sugar industry and fostered the diversification of the Mauritian economy. As regards current trade flows, the EU remains one of the most important partners and this partnership enables the country to tackle complex transnational challenges, he added.
Furthermore, Minister Roopun emphasised that Mauritius and the EU have conjointly embarked on numerous initiatives to achieve the goals of Vision 2030 which include making Mauritius a regional platform for trade and investment, increase connectivity with Africa, address unemployment and eradicate poverty. On that note, he expressed gratitude to the EU for the funds allocated to the country through the interim Economic Partnership Agreement, adding that the Europe Week will be marked by the launching of an electronic platform for licences and business permits.
Calendar of activities
The calendar of events includes:
Discussion regarding the commitments made during the last political dialogue EU-Mauritius concerning the promotion of women’s rights with the Minister of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare, Mrs Roubina Jadoo-Jaunbocus on Monday 07 May;
The inauguration of an exhibition ‘Maurice-Union Europeenne: une histoire partagee, un avenir commun’ on 09 May 2018 and a light show at the Plaza, Rose-Hill;
Launch of the electronic platform for licences and business permits, on 10 May 2018 at the Intercontinental Hotel, Balaclava;
Launch of the project ‘Improving Sustainable tourism in Mauritius through greening the value chain of tour operators’ by the Mauritius Tourism Authority; and
High-level meeting on the theme of ‘promoting innovative investment and business models to increase the effectiveness of cultural heritage as a factor of social and economic development’ on 10 May 2018 at the Plaza, Rose-Hill.
Source: Government of Mauritius