India signs free trade pact with Mauritius, the first of its kind with African nation

In one of the significant outcomes of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's visit to Mauritius, India on Monday signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Mauritius. It is the first such arrangement that India struck with any African country. Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth hailed the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation & Partnership Agreement (CECPA) as “far-reaching” and said that it would unleash new as well as expanded opportunities in trade, goods & services, investment, economic cooperation & technical assistance.

In a joint statement on February 22, Mauritius PM said that the nation aspires to play a greater role in India’s engagement in Africa. Jugnauth said that CECPA will further encourage Indian entrepreneurs to invest not only in Mauritius but also in the entire region consolidating the joint ambition to make the African nation the “centre of excellence”.

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Mauritius PM said at India-Mauritius joint statement, “As India seeks to step her vast & multilayered cooperation with the African continent, for next edition of India-Africa forum Mauritius aspires to play a greater role in these engagements as a gateway b/w India & Africa. Comprehensive Economic Cooperation & Partnership Agreement is 1st of its kind, signed by India with an African country. It's far-reaching & should unleash new & expanded opportunities in trade, goods & services, investment, economic cooperation & technical assistance.”

“The CECPA will encourage Indian entrepreneurs to invest both in Mauritius & across the whole region. This consolidating our ambition of making Mauritius a strategic regional economic hub & a centre of excellence,” he added.

Jaishankar on two-day visit to Mauritius

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar is presently visiting Mauritius from February 22-23 after last arriving in the nation in August 2018. Jaishankar last arrived in the East African nation when former EAM late Sushma Swaraj visited Mauritius for the 11th World Hindi Conference. While India is the largest development cooperation partner of Mauritius with a focus on people-oriented projects, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jagnauth had also visited India in an unofficial visit with his spouse in December 2019. 

Elevating the bilateral relations between both the nations, in July 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth jointly e-inaugurated the new Supreme Court building in Mauritius built with India grant assistance. Both leaders had previously also inaugurated Phase 1 of the landmark Metro Express project and a new ENT hospital in Mauritius.  The Metro Express Project is also the largest infrastructure projected which is being executed by India in Mauritius. 

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