New Delhi : The External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar will undertake an official visit to Mauritius from 16th to 17th July. The visit marks one of the first bilateral engagements undertaken by EAM following his re-appointment. It follows the recent visit of the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, to India for the swearing-in ceremony of the new cabinet and Council of Ministers. EAM had previously visited Mauritius in February 2021.
Significance of the visit
The visit assumes significance as the Modi 3.0 government seeks to intensify its neighbourhood-first policy. The aim of Jaishankar's visit to Mauritius will also review bilateral ties as Mauritius gears up for the election. India is keen to maintain its influence in the Southern and Western Indian Ocean region amid China's growing influence.
During the visit, EAM will call on the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth and will hold bilateral meetings with other senior ministers of the Government of Mauritius. In addition, he will engage with other prominent Mauritian leaders. The visit will allow both sides to take stock of various facets of the bilateral relationship comprehensively.
The visit underscores the importance of the India-Mauritius relationship and is a reflection of India’s ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’, Vision SAGAR, and commitment to the Global South. It also reaffirms the continued commitment of both countries to strengthen further the multi-dimensional bilateral relationship and deepen close people-to-people ties.
It is pertinent to note that Mauritius is India's economic and strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific region.
India-Mauritius economic ties
India and Mauritius signed the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) on 22 February 2021. The CECPA is the first trade Agreement signed by India with a country in Africa. Both sides have completed their internal legal procedures and the India-Mauritius CECPA will enter into force on Thursday, 01 April 2021.
The Agreement is a limited agreement, which will cover Trade in Goods, Rules of Origin, Trade in Services, Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, Dispute Settlement, Movement of Natural Persons, Telecom, Financial services, CustomsProcedures and Cooperation in other Areas.
The India-Mauritius CECPA provides for an institutional mechanism to encourage and improve trade between the two countries. The CECPA between India and Mauritius covers 310 export items for India, including foodstuff and beverages (80 lines), agricultural products (25 lines), textile and textile articles (27 lines), base metals and articles thereof (32 lines), electricals and electronic item (13 lines), plastics and chemicals (20 lines), wood and articles thereof (15 lines), and others. Mauritius will benefit from preferential market access into India for its 615 products, including frozen fish, speciality sugar, biscuits, fresh fruits, juices, mineral water, beer, alcoholic drinks, soaps, bags, medical and surgical equipment, and apparel.
As regards trade in services, Indian service providers will have access to around 115 sub sectors from the 11 broad service sectors such as professional services, computer-related services, research & development, other business services, telecommunication, construction, distribution, education, environmental, financial, tourism & travel related, recreational, yoga, audio-visual services, and transport services. India has offered around 95 sub-sectors from the 11 broad services sectors, including professional services, R&D, other business services, telecommunication, financial, distribution, higher education, environmental, health, tourism and travel-related services, recreational services and transport services.
