Ahead of the EU-Indopacific Ministerial Forum and the EU-Africa Summit at the end of November (see EUROPE 13737/27), Agence Europe met Oskar Benedikt, EU Ambassador to the Republic of Mauritius and the Republic of Seychelles. (Interviewed on Thursday 6 November by Anne Damiani, with Bernard Denuit)
Agence Europe - Will the heads of the Mauritian and Seychelles governments be taking part in these two summits?
Oskar Benedikt - Seychelles will be taking part in the EU-Indopacific Ministerial Forum in Brussels on Thursday 20 and Friday 21 November. The Seychellois should speak out on maritime safety, the environment and economic development.
Invitations to the EU-Africa summit in Luanda, Angola, on Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 November have been sent out by the African Union. We are awaiting a response from the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Navin Ramgoolam. As far as Seychelles is concerned, we don’t know yet, as elections were held recently and a new government has just been formed.
On the other hand, we are awaiting the arrival of French President Emmanuel Macron in Mauritius on Thursday 20 and Friday 21 November. It’s important that European leaders come here. It sends a strong signal.
Mauritius and Seychelles are linked to the EU via the Samoa Agreement, which is the general framework for relations between the EU and the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (see EUROPE 13738/7). This was signed in November 2023. What is the status of ratification?
Indeed, we discussed this with the Mauritian Minister of Foreign Affairs a week ago; ratification is imminent and should take place within the next two weeks. We are preparing a celebration to mark the ratification.
This programme is the successor to the post-colonial agreements signed in Yaoundé, Lomé and Cotonou in the 1960s. It includes two dimensions: the commercial dimension, to continue trade with Europe; and economic development aid for our partners.
Mauritius has been part of these agreements from the outset; we have archive photos of a meeting in February 1970 between Prime Minister Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, the father of the current Prime Minister, and Jean Rey, the President of the European Commission. The country has benefited from preferential rates for the sugar industry. Since then, the major sugar companies have accumulated capital to diversify, particularly into tourism and finance.
There has always been a strong trade relationship between Mauritius and Europe; there are no quotas or tariffs for Mauritian products entering the European market. I think it’s important to stress the importance of this preferential access to the European market.
Europe is Mauritius’ leading trading partner and the largest provider of foreign direct investment. Many property investors are European. In addition, more than 50% of tourists come from Europe, particularly France, and Réunion in particular.
Seychelles and Mauritius now have a high GDP per capita. Given their level of development, these two countries tend to benefit from regional projects. We also provide technical assistance in various fields.
Mauritius is also a partner when it comes to respect for human rights. We usually meet every year in a joint committee to discuss various subjects, particularly diplomatic and geopolitical issues. Mauritius has been a reliable partner of the EU for many years.
The EU and these two countries also have fisheries agreements (see EUROPE 13655/10). Could you tell us more?
Yes, we have sustainable fishing partnership agreements with both countries. European fishers who own sufficiently large boats are granted fishing licences, particularly for tuna. It is then processed in large factories, canned and exported to Europe.
Although these fishing agreements are criticised by environmental NGOs, they are sustainable, as our aim is to protect stocks so that they can renew themselves. The agreement obliges tuna vessels to employ local labour and to undergo inspections.
Mauritius and Seychelles also benefit from financial support, managed by the local authorities, for small-scale fishermen. The EU wants transparency and traceability and to monitor illegal fishing. We have a common interest in preserving the value chain.
In June, the European Commission and the European External Action Service decided to resize the network of EU delegations from 2026 (see EUROPE 13655/17). What impact will this decision have on your delegation?
In reality, the number of delegations will not decrease, but what will change is the way in which development aid is implemented, in particular with the ‘Global Gateway’, which aims to develop reliable and sustainable connections for the benefit of the world’s population.