Trade, infrastructure development, climate change, and other key priorities were at the fore of discussions, this afternoon, during a meeting in Port Louis between the Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Alan Ganoo, and the Senior United Kingdom (UK) Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth and the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon.
The High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Mauritius, Ms Charlotte Anik Rachel Pierre, and other personalities were also present on this occasion.
In a statement, Minister Ganoo highlighted that the meeting was an opportunity to discuss several key priorities and dwell on the good and friendly relation between Mauritius and the UK. Discussions, he stated, also focussed on the forthcoming Kigali Summit, commerce, the environment, the fight against climate change and the two countries’ role among the Commonwealth family.
The Foreign Affairs Minister underscored that the meeting was an opportunity to determine how the UK can support Mauritius, as a Small Island Developing State, for enhancing facilities in the port area. Through Lord Ahmad, he added, the UK has pledged its continued friendship to Mauritius. He also seized this opportunity to commend the UK for having supported Mauritius for its delisting from the FATF grey list.
As for Lord Ahmad, he emphasised that the meeting with Minister Ganoo was very productive and discussions focussed on a range of key priorities for the two countries and on the strengthening of bilateral ties.
He pointed out that the UK is proud of the contribution of the Mauritian diaspora and the meeting, he said, underlined the opportunities that lie ahead in trade and infrastructure development. He further observed that both countries can bring forth to the Commonwealth some important issues such as strengthening the response in the ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking about the challenges of climate change, Lord Ahmad stated that the UK is particularly conscious of the vulnerability of Small Island Developing States such as Mauritius, and will further collaborate in addressing this important issue.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of Mauritius.
