Her Excellency Tran Thi Thu Thin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam paid a courtesy visit on 04 June 2025 to Mr. Mahen Kundasamy, Chief Executive Officer, Economic Development Board.
Discussions centred on future collaboration to further economic cooperation between Mauritius and Viet Nam. EDB’s CEO highlighted that Mauritius, given its strategic location, is an attractive platform for Viet Nam to expand its business footprint on the African Continent. He further emphasised that, given Mauritius’ robust financial, banking, and telecommunications infrastructure, the country presents itself as a strategic and reliable partner for Viet Nam from both investment and trade perspectives. Investment opportunities in sectors such as renewable energy and ocean economy were highlighted.
Mr. Kundasamy highlighted the strong and longstanding relationship that Mauritius shares with ASEAN countries, emphasising the island’s commitment to strengthening economic and diplomatic engagement. He pointed out that Mauritius is the closest African country to Viet Nam and is strategically positioned as a natural bridge between Asia and Africa. As an active member of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), Mauritius is well-placed to facilitate greater regional cooperation and trade.
H.E. Tran Thi Thu Thin, expressed Viet Nam’s keen interest in enhancing economic cooperation with Mauritius. Mr. Kundasamy reaffirmed that collaboration with Viet Nam in the blue economy offers strong potential for mutual benefits, given the complementary strengths of the two countries, with Viet Nam bringing valuable expertise and Mauritius having an extensive Exclusive Economic Zone. The CEO of EDB underscored Mauritius’ commitment to unlocking the full potential of its ocean resources through sustainable development initiatives, particularly in fisheries, aquaculture, marine biotechnology, and ocean-based renewable energy. Her Excellency concurred, underlining that fishing and aquaculture together make a significant and strategic contribution to Viet Nam’s economy, while also serving as a vital source of employment, particularly in coastal and rural communities.
Both parties expressed a strong willingness to deepening collaboration in the renewable energy sector, acknowledging its crucial role in advancing sustainable and inclusive development. Mauritius, in line with its ambitious energy transition agenda, welcomes strategic investment and technical expertise from Viet Nam, whose well-established capabilities in large-scale solar deployment position it as a potential partner in accelerating the rollout of clean energy solutions, aligned with both global climate goals and national development priorities.
In light of broader investment prospects and the imperative to diversify export markets, Mr. Kundasamy underscored the strategic importance of reinforcing Africa’s electronics value chain as a catalyst for industrial transformation. He noted that Viet Nam’s expertise in electronics manufacturing represents an asset that could significantly support this effort. He emphasised Africa’s pivotal role in shaping the next phase of global economic expansion, highlighting the continent as one of the fastest growing and most dynamic in the world today.
The CEO of EDB reaffirmed Mauritius’ readiness to support Vietnamese enterprises looking to establish a base on the island for export of high-value goods to Africa. In this context, he highlighted Mauritius as a natural bridge to the continent, offering a stable and well-connected platform for Vietnamese enterprises, supported by its strategic location, strong institutional framework, established trade agreements and participation in key trade blocs such as the AfCFTA, COMESA, and SADC. He advocated for stronger regional cooperation, strategic investment flows, and enhanced partnerships with African countries as essential levers to foster inclusive growth and build long-term economic resilience.
During the discussion, H.E. Tran Thi Thu Thin further proposed that Mauritian companies consider organising business missions to Viet Nam to explore potential areas for commercial collaboration and investment. She highlighted Viet Nam’s strategic role as a gateway to the ASEAN region and emphasised the value of its Free Trade Agreements with other ASEAN countries, which offer a solid framework for Mauritian enterprises seeking access to the broader Southeast Asian market. Both Her Excellency and the CEO of EDB agreed on the importance of consolidating bilateral promotional efforts for further consolidation of economic ties between Mauritius and Viet Nam.
In his concluding remarks, Mr. Kundasamy invited Vietnamese investors to actively explore and capitalise on emerging opportunities across Africa, with Mauritius positioned as a strategic enabler in the continent’s transformation. H.E. Tran Thi Thu Thin highlighted the strong foundation of shared values between Viet Nam and Mauritius, particularly their mutual commitment to good governance, peace, and sustainable development. She expressed confidence in the prospects for a successful and lasting partnership, reaffirming Viet Nam’s full support for deepening bilateral relations.
The meeting concluded with a commitment to the strengthening of economic ties between Mauritius and Viet Nam.
