Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Mauritius discussed food security and ways of boosting bilateral trade in talks with senior officials during a three-day visit to the Indian Ocean country.

Mohammed bin Ali Al-Ali, who is based in Pretoria, South Africa, also talked in general about the need to increase relations with the island nation in other key areas as well.

“Trade relations are becoming more important than politics,” Al-Ali said after a working session with Mauritius Minister of Industry and Commerce Showkutally Soodhun.

“Regarding food security, we can see how Mauritius can help us in planting our crops and exporting them to Saudi Arabia,” Al-Ali said.

The meeting took place at the minister’s office in Port Louis in the presence of Malek Ghawas, the attaché at the Saudi Embassy, and Yasine Mohabuth, an adviser to the Mauritius minister.

Al-Ali also inquired about the port and free port facilities in Mauritius, especially regarding storage of petroleum products and the entrance of big vessels.

Soodhun, a seasoned Muslim parliamentarian, has been spearheading efforts for the consolidation of relations between his country and Saudi Arabia.

“I have signed many contracts in the past with the Saudi authorities, especially with Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahd in 1989 regarding the construction of the Islamic Cultural Center with the help of the Islamic Development Bank,” Soodhun said.

“I admit that these relations were not sufficiently cemented as we focused too much on religious affairs, but I can say that there are ongoing preliminary discussions in respect of a double taxation avoidance agreement as well as an investment promotion agreement with the Kingdom,” he added.

Soodhun said being the minister he will now “see to it that we have increased relations, especially as Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam wants to open up more trade with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. I thank the very open-minded, dynamic and enthusiastic Ambassador Al-Ali for his invitation to bring our businessmen to Saudi Arabia.”

The minister also arranged for Al-Ali to visit the Mauritian government’s Board of Investment and Enterprise.

Al-Ali handed over 50 tons of dates to the country as a gift from the Kingdom.

A stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights record, Mauritius has attracted considerable foreign investment and has earned one of Africa’s highest per capita incomes. Recent poor weather, declining sugar prices, and declining textile and apparel production, have slowed economic growth. About 17 percent of the country’s 1.3 million population is Muslim.

Dix tops models, trois photographes de renommée internationale : le « photoshoot » très glamour du numéro spécial maillot de bains du magazine « Sports Illustrated » permet également à l’île Maurice de se dévoiler sous toutes ses coutures !

India and Mauritius have signed four agreements, including one to supply an offshore patrol vessel and another for cooperation in a tsunami early warning arrangement. External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, on a two-nation five day visit to Mauritius and Mozambique, stopped first at Port Louis, Mauritius's capital, where he held

discussions with his Mauritius counterpart Arvin Boolell. He also called on the President Anerood Jugnauth and Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam.

Four agreements were signed during the visit, which included a memorandum on cooperation for early warning arrangement for coastal hazards between the Indian National Centre for Ocean Services and Mauritius's Meteorological Services.

India will also provide a grant of $10 million and line of credit of $48.5 million to Mauritius for supply of an offshore patrol vehicle. It will be manufactured by Garden Reach Shipbuilders in Kolkata.

Mauritius has been facing the scourge of piracy in its waters, with several incidents of piracy attacks of merchant ships reported nearby.

Besides, an agreement for cultural cooperation and another for standardisation, testing and quality certification were also inked during the visit.

source: hindustantimes.com

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With regard to the combined second through fourth periodic report of Mauritius, the Committee noted with appreciation that the State party provided health care services and education up to the tertiary level free of charge

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