EDB CEO meets Egyptian Ambassador to discuss bilateral relations, trade and human capital development

The meeting provided an opportunity to explore avenues for cooperation between Mauritius and Egypt. Discussions covered a wide range of strategic themes, including:

1. The longstanding diplomatic relations between Mauritius and Egypt, established in 1976, reflect enduring historical ties that provide a solid foundation for both current and future collaboration.
2. The joint promotion of the African continent, with a view to positioning both Mauritius and Egypt as dynamic contributors to Africa’s economic growth and investment potential.
3. Advancing the Pan-African vision, with both parties reaffirming their commitment to regional integration, shared prosperity, and intra-African partnerships.
4. Strengthening bilateral relations, with a focus on enhancing cooperation across trade, investment, and knowledge exchange between Mauritius and Egypt.
5. Positioning Egypt as a strategic and privileged partner for Mauritius in the North African and Middle Eastern region.
6. Exploring Egypt’s potential role as an advocate and ally for small island and developing states (SIDS) within Africa, particularly in multilateral platforms.

Her Excellency Abir Alam Eldin reaffirmed the strong economic ties between Mauritius and Egypt, particularly within the framework of COMESA. She emphasised the importance of further deepening this cooperation and proposed the establishment of a Business-to-Business (B2B) forum, as well as a bilateral joint committee, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to enhance economic cooperation and dialogue. In order to give momentum to this initiative, the EDB will engage in discussions with the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), with the objective of materialising the proposed forum.

The discussion also explored the potential of leveraging Mauritius International Financial Centre as a strategic gateway for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Egypt, positioning it as a prime investment destination within Africa. Emphasis was placed on how Mauritius can serve as a platform to channel high-value investments into Egypt, supported by the existing Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) between the two countries.

The meeting also explored avenues for capacity building and diplomatic training. Her Excellency Abir Alam Eldin reiterated Egypt’s willingness to support Mauritius by offering a range of specialised training programmes, along with up to 20 scholarships for Mauritian professionals. As part of this initiative, it is envisaged that 10 to 15 Mauritian diplomats could benefit from advanced diplomatic training in Cairo.

Furthermore, a potential partnership between the University of Cairo and the University of Mauritius was proposed to reinforce institutional collaboration and promote sustained knowledge exchange between the two countries.

In conclusion, the CEO of the EDB expresses his appreciation for the Ambassador’s visit and expresses his intention to maintain close collaboration with the Embassy of Egypt in order to translate these promising discussions into concrete actions, with the aim of unlocking new opportunities for trade, investment, and to drive sustainable development across Africa.