Portugal: Country to cooperate with Mauritius on oceans, energy – presidents

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Portugal: Country to cooperate with Mauritius on oceans, energy – presidents

10:27 CAT | 16 Jul 2024

Photo: Presidência da República Portuguesa

The presidents of Portugal and Mauritius on Monday committed to strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation between their respective countries in areas such as the environment and the protection of the oceans, and in the energy, digital and tourism sectors.

Portugal’s head of state, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, received his counterpart from the Republic of Mauritius, Prithvirajsing Roopun, in the morning at his presidential palace in Belém, Lisbon, at the start of the visitor’s two-day state trip to Portugal, which de Sousa hailed as “a historic moment” for both sides.

“This visit brings with it new and significant opportunities on a bilateral and multilateral level,” said de Sousa, at a joint event at which statements were made to the media, without journalists being able to put questions.

“We agreed to strengthen and consolidate our bilateral relations,” the Mauritius president said. “And we discussed how we, as smaller countries, can come together and contribute to the economic development not only of our two countries, but of the African continent.”

His host emphasised the joint commitment of the two countries “in the fight for the oceans” at multilateral level, particularly within the framework of the United Nations.

“It’s an important fight for both countries: to preserve, protect and guarantee biodiversity,” said de Sousa. “Also to guarantee the ratification of the Treaty on the High Seas, which is necessary if it is to be applied.”

In his opinion, the UN Conference on Climate Change (COP) and the issue of protecting the oceans should be more closely linked: “They have been going hand in hand, but not together”.

De Sousa emphasised that Portugal “is the country in Europe with the greatest jurisdiction in the seas” – adding: “This is an issue that can bring us closer together; who knows if it can convince Mauritius to support our candidacy for the United Nations Security Council in 2027-28.”

The Portuguese president noted that “Mauritius is an associate member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) and, as an observer of the CPLP, is particularly interested, for example, in the Portuguese language” given that one of the near neighbours of this island country in the Indian Ocean is Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony.

According to de Sousa, Mauritius could have “Portuguese as an important third language” and, “naturally, Portugal is very committed to this development.”

On a bilateral level, he pointed to energy, digital and tourism as other sectors in which co-operation could “go further” and concluded: “There is a world of economic realities to develop between the two.”

For his part, the president of Mauritius, who spoke in English, mentioned environmental protection, renewable energies, tourism and culture as areas in which the two countries can “share experiences” in a “new chapter” of their relations.

Prithvirajsing Roopun expressed his conviction that this “is just the beginning of a new collaboration” that “will bear much fruit.”