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FRIENDLY TIES
H.E. Choonee (right), Utchanah (centre) and Pandey agree that Indo-Mauritian relations are on a high |
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India’s special relationship with Mauritius continues. H.E. Mookesswur Choonee describes the current phase of India-Mauritius ties as the golden period in relations between the two nations.
There are reasons for Choonee to say so. This is a period when the Mauritian Government is dominated by people of Indian origin, nearly 3/4th of the Mauritian Cabinet is of Indian origin. Naturally, the bonding is easier, and stronger.
Special agreements help. The Composite Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) between the two nations has fostered not just more economic interaction on several fronts, including IT and finance, but generated plenty of goodwill as well. Comments Professor Ajay Dubey of the School of International Studies, J.N.U., New Delhi, “India banks on Mauritius in every international fora to back it to the hilt. This trust has only grown with time.”
The mood is buoyant. Adds Mahyendrah Utchanah, director general Beaux Songes, a very large tour operating firm in Mauritius, “We in Mauritius are proud of our roots with India. At our GOPIO convention, we declared Mauritius the PIO capital of the world.”
Mauritius, explains Choonee, has many things working in its favour. “It is treated as a knowledge and communication hub for the pan-African network. In many ways the country serves as a gateway to Africa. It has got one of the world’s largest and most exquisite reservoirs of highly rich mineral water, at 1,000 metres below the sea level, at a temperature of 2 degrees Celsius.”
Mauritius provokes thought for food. It is a sea-food hub nonpareil. There are several land-based oceanic industries, the country’s canned tuna is a delicacy that is exported to the world. It helps that its Exclusive Economic Zone is, remarkably, as large as India’s.
Tourism still remains the key, the bedstone on which the economy flourishes. As Utchanah, himself a former minister of energy, explains, “Even one mosquito can shake up the entire tourism of Mauritius.”
As of now though, there’s nothing shaking Indo-Mauritius relations, they’re moving from strength to strength. |
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