The Prime Minister, Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam, had a series of bilateral meetings and talks with several eminent African dignitaries during his participation at the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) held on 15 and 16 February 2025 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Dr Ramgoolam also met Mauritian professionals based in Addis Ababa and who work for the AU and other organisations in Africa.
The Mauritian Prime Minister met on Sunday 16 February 2025 a delegation led by the President of the Union of the Comoros, Mr Azali Assoumani, who congratulated Dr Ramgoolam on his victory in the 2024 elections. The Prime Minister likewise congratulated the Comoros President, who is also back in power after a decade. President Assoumani moreover thanked Mauritius for its unwavering support in the reconstruction of the Comoros.
Discussions during the meeting focused on strengthening bilateral relations between the two Nations, with emphasis on economic cooperation and development in sectors of mutual interest such as maritime security, the Indian Ocean Island Games to be hosted by the Comoros in 2027, piracy and pollution. Both dignitaries pledged to take forward bilateral agreements between the two countries.
Dr Ramgoolam also held talks with the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and former Nigerian Finance Minister, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. The WTO’s Director-General expressed wish to see Mauritius take full advantage of existing trade agreements and requested the Prime Minister’s support in the fight against illegal fishing, especially given the fact that Mauritius has ratified the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement.
In addition, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala invited the Prime Minister to prevail upon African member countries and other allied nations to work with the WTO on its key priorities. The Mauritian economy, investment opportunities and the Government’s intention to introduce a Fiscal Responsibility Act were also discussed. The Prime Minister took the opportunity to invite the Director-General of the WTO to Mauritius.
Prime Minister Ramgoolam then met with the CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Mr Mesfin Tasew Bekele, who expressed the wish to collaborate with Mauritius as part of its open skies policy, and in particular, proposed to establish a direct flight between Addis Ababa and Mauritius. He similarly mentioned opportunities for training and maintenance of aviation personnel through the Ethiopian Aviation University.
The Ethiopian State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mesganu Arga Moach, who attended the meeting, expressed the hope that bilateral cooperation between the two countries would be strengthened, particularly in the areas of trade, tourism and aviation, among others.
Furthermore, the Prime Minister held talks with a delegation from the African Development Bank (ADB) Group, led by its President Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina. The possibility of reinforcing the country’s position as a financial and investment hub in Africa was discussed during that meeting.
Dr Ramgoolam met with Mauritian professionals based in Addis Ababa, who seized the opportunity to congratulate the Prime Minister on his victory in the last elections and expressed their desire to contribute to the development of Mauritius by proposing various initiatives. The Prime Minister expressed his intention to grant the right to vote to the Mauritian diaspora.
It is recalled that the Assembly is the AU’s supreme policy and decision-making organ. It comprises all Member State Heads of State and Government. The Assembly determines the AU’s policies, establishes its priorities, adopts its annual programme and monitors the implementation of its policies and decisions.
The AU’s theme of the year 2025 focused on Reparatory Justice and Racial Healing Under the Theme: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations.
