Mauritius will take over the presidency of the Indian Ocean Commission (COI) during the next council of ministers meeting set for June 7 in the Reunion lsland.
Originally, the COI presidency should go to Madagascar this year. However, the Indian Ocean island decided to cede it to Mauritius due to its political crisis since late 2008.
The COI council of ministers meeting will be presided over by Alain Joyandet, the French cooperation secretary. At the meeting, Mauritius will submit a document aimed at reinforcing COI through of a new body of economic and commercial integration.
The three main areas of this proposal include the forming of an economic and commercial entity within COI, the drafting of a common position on negotiations of the Economic Partnership Accords (EPA) with the European Union, and the opening up of the economic zone to other countries or economic blocks.
Created in 1984, COI is an inter-governmental body grouping Madagascar, Mauritius, the Seychelles, Comoros Islands and France, which acts on behalf of the Reunion Island.
