The 9th Political Dialogue between the Republic of Mauritius and the European Union was held on 14 November 2022 in the presence of six Ministers of the Republic of Mauritius and Ambassadors and representatives from eight EU Member States. The six-hour dialogue was co-chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade and the Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Mauritius. The dialogue allowed for a cordial and constructive exchange of views on a number of issues of mutual interest, including the deepening of the Economic Partnership Agreement, maritime security, fisheries and the blue economy, climate change, governance as well as regional and multilateral issues. The EU and Mauritius both reiterated their strong attachment to multilateralism, the UN Charter and the universality of human rights, and also shared views on the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic and of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. They underlined their continued commitment to strengthening their partnership based on shared values and common interests.

In his opening statement, the Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Mauritius, H.E. Mr Vincent Degert underlined that : “The EU-Mauritius political dialogue is the opportunity to reaffirm the strategic partnership between the European Union and the Republic of Mauritius.  This year has been marked by four major success stories in our partnership: the successful response to the coronavirus pandemic and to other health challenges; the removal of Mauritius from the FATF and EU lists; the designation of Mauritius as a cybersecurity hub for the region and the promotion of Mauritius as a ‘green’ destination. The award ‘Tourism NDC Initiative of The Year, African NDC Investment Awards 2022’ that Mauritius received last week  in the context of the COP27 is further international recognition of the consistent efforts of the authorities in promoting sustainable tourism in Mauritius. We are glad that the EU has been supporting these efforts from the onset.  We will continue, with our Member States, to be a reliable partner for Mauritius for peace and security, for sustainable economic development, for promoting human rights for all and for strong and consistent climate action.”

In his opening statement, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade of the Republic of Mauritius, Honourable Mr Alan Ganoo said that “one lesson learnt from the pandemic is that today’s issues are global, inter-related and that we all have a common destiny. It is important that Mauritius and the EU engage as partners to find ways and means of addressing these issues which are having far reaching implications for our planet and future generations”. He also congratulated the EU Delegation for  the very successful organisation of the Concert ‘de Vivaldi à Puccini’ on Sunday, 13 November in a prime cultural location in the capital city Port Louis.

The concert, which served as an informal prologue to the  Article 9 Political Dialogue, featured a first part dedicated to the performance of finalists of the Grand Concours ‘de Vivaldi à Puccini’ – the youngest finalists were 9 years old –and a second part dedicated to the  performance of the Grand orchestre and choir of the Conservatoire National de Musique François Mitterrand. It was a great encounter between Mauritian talents and great Italian composers of the period 1678 (date of birth of Antonio Vivaldi) to 1924 (date of the death of Giacomo Puccini). A special guest Ms Natacha Finette-Constantin, a Mauritian soprano who travelled specially from Paris, delighted the audience with a powerful interpretation of ‘O sole mio’ and ‘Libiamo ne' lieti calici’ from Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata. The concert was followed by a reception co-hosted by the EU Ambassador and the Ambassador of Italy where guests, including high level personalities including the Acting President and the Speaker of the National Assembly, had the opportunity to taste Italian culinary specialties.

In the margins of the Political Dialogue, the EU Ambassador and the EU Member States also had a working session with the Prime Minister on 14 November where discussions were open and frank.  The EU side concluded the formal part of the Political Dialogue with a meeting with the Acting President of the Republic of Mauritius at the State House in Réduit.

The Political Dialogue, the bilateral meetings as well as the concert have been widely reported in the media.