Mauritius to host Working Group on Trade and Investment

The representative of the current IORA Chair (South Africa), Professor Anil Sooklal, made this statement following a courtesy call, today, on the Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, at the Treasury Building, in Port-Louis. He was accompanied by representatives of the past and incoming IORA Chairs (Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates), forming the Troica, and the IORA Secretary-General.

Professor Sooklal said that discussions with the Prime Minister focused on the strengthening of the ongoing relationship and partnership between IORA and Mauritius, and expressed IORA’s gratitude to Mauritius for providing the premises to house the IORA secretariat as well as for having made available a Human Resource and Finance expert to help strengthen the secretariat. The Prime Minister, he added, reaffirmed the commitment and support of Mauritius towards the IORA so as to empower the organisation and take it forward.

On another score, Professor Sooklal informed that one of the major events of the IORA, following the Working Group on Trade and Investment, is the Council of Ministers meeting, which will take place in Abu Dhabi in November, this year. On this occasion, South Africa will pass over the chairship of the IORA to the United Arab Emirates for two-year period.