The State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Mr Kenji Yamada, paid a courtesy call to the Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration, and International Trade, Mr Alan Ganoo, this morning, at the seat of his Ministry in Port-Louis. The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Mauritius, Mr Shuichiro Kawaguchi, was also present on this occasion.

The visit was followed by a meeting between Minister Ganoo and the Japanese State Minister and his delegation, who are in Mauritius on a Public-Private Joint Mission for Promoting Trade and Investment in Africa from 04 to 06 May 2023.

In his opening remarks during the meeting, Minister Ganoo highlighted that the deepening of the Mauritius-Japan bilateral partnership, especially with the private sector on board, will span across various industries, for the mutual benefit of the two countries. He commended the initiative from the Embassy of Japan in Mauritius for the organisation of this first Public-Private Joint Mission which, according to him, is geared towards promoting investment in Mauritius and paving the way for investment on the African continent.

Mauritius, he stressed, offers a unique strategic advantage by virtue of its geographical position and its close ancestral and cultural linkages with both Africa and Asia. He moreover remarked that our country values its privileged relations with Japan as a major development partner in several key sectors, such as coastal management, maritime security, environmental resilience, and economic development, amongst others.

Furthermore, Minister Ganoo encouraged the Japanese delegation to explore the various opportunities to invest in Mauritius in various sectors, including renewable energy, financial services, blue economy, and manufacturing of components of hybrid cars and electronic products. He also reassured that the Mauritian Government will remain a key facilitator for trade and investment to be effectively and smoothly carried out in potential as well as existing sectors.