Mauritius And Seychelles Strengthen Cooperation And Bilateral Relations

by Mary Swire, Tax-News.com, Hong Kong

23 July 2008

The 8th Session of the Seychelles-Mauritius Commission on Bilateral Cooperation (SMCBC) ended earlier this month with both Governments agreeing to support each other and strengthen cooperation, giving a boost to bilateral relations.

The Mauritian delegation was led by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Dr Rama Sithanen, and the Seychelles delegation by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Patrick Pillay.

Both parties have agreed that they will work together in various areas, namely:

  • Regional Cooperation: With regard to aid for Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement, both sides have agreed that a strategic partnership between the two countries could be facilitated by the networks the countries are building, including the EPA with the European Union and membership in both COMESA and SADC that could offer preferential access to over half of Africa;
  • COMESA Fund: Mauritius invited Seychelles to join the COMESA Fund to build a strategic relationship between the two countries, and more strongly benefit from regionalisation and globalisation initiatives underway;
  • Regional Multidisciplinary Centre Of Excellence: Seychelles solicited the support of Mauritius for the setting up of a University in Seychelles; and
  • Cooperation in the fisheries sector: Both sides have agreed on the urgent need to examine the impact of the WTO negotiations as well as the bilateral negotiations between the EU and the ASEAN countries.

Dr Sithanen highlighted the need for the CBC to evolve into a dynamic platform, thus enabling the two countries to develop synergy to better deal with regional and global challenges, and to reap the benefits of regionalisation and globalisation.

He added that both countries stand to gain in the context of enhanced bilateral cooperation by easing the barriers impeding the flow of goods and services and capital movement between them.

Minister Pillay underscored the fruitful exchange programmes between Mauritius and Seychelles in the fields of banking, education, social development, tourism and fisheries.

He indicated that the strong bilateral relationship between these two countries has been evident through the activities being implemented by NGOs, and under the existing twinning programmes.

He reiterated the need for combined effort and support of both countries to promote economic development and environment security.

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