‘Time to explore potentials!’

Mauritius, which is positioning towards becoming an ocean economy, is bullish on direct air-links with Sri Lanka. “Expediting the signing of Air Services Agreement and exploring possibilities of extending Sri Lankan Airlines’ flights to Mauritius  will boost bilateral cooperation between Sri Lanka and Mauritius significantly” stressed an upbeat Arvin Boolell, the Mauritius Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration & International Trade on 05 July in Mauritius.

Mauritius Minister Boolell was addressing Rishad Bathiudeen (Minister of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka) on 05 July during Minister Bathiudeen’s courtesy call on Minister Boolell on the sidelines of the first IOR-ARC Economic and Business Conference (EBC), held at Le Meridian Hotel, Mauritius.

The 04-05 July events, held at the Le Meridian Hotel, Mauritius, was part of the first IOR-ARC Economic and Business Conference (EBC) in Mauritius. It was co-hosted by India and Mauritius.

According to the Department of Commerce of Sri Lanka, total trade between Sri Lanka and Mauritius was only $ 6.93 Mn (in 2012), increasing by 5.6% (from 2011’s volume). Department of Commerce sources confirmed that the existing low levels of trade are a strong sign of the untapped potentials in future bilateral trade. Among Sri Lanka’s leading exports to Mauritius are coloured woven cotton fabrics, diamonds, and food & live animals.  Minister Bathiudeen, addressing Mauritius Minister Boolell, said: “We invite a Mauritius delegation to take part in the forthcoming Business and Trade Forum & events to be held in parallel to the CHOGM event. While we work on intra-regional trade at IOR-RAC, I stress that the current bilateral trade levels between Mauritius and Sri Lanka too are low, and therefore, we believe there is huge unrealised trade volumes that can yet materialise between us. It is time we explore these potentials for mutual benefit.”

Minister Boolell, responding to Minister Bathiudeen, said: “We also realise that current bilateral trade levels are low and therefore there is huge unrealised trade potential in future. Expediting the signing of Air Services Agreement and exploring possibilities of extending Sri Lankan Airlines’ flights to Mauritius  will boost bilateral cooperation between Sri Lanka and Mauritius significantly.

No less than 370 delegates including Ministers, government officials, business persons and entrepreneurs from the 17 IOR-ARC Member States -Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Sultanate of Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and United Arab Emirates, took part in the Conference. Also in attendance were the Dialogue Partner States – the People’s Republic of China, France, Japan and the United States of America. The objective of the events were to create a platform for continued engagement and dialogue among the policymakers of the Association and to take forward the roadmap that will be developed in consultation with the business community.