Egypt favours direct flights
By Yannick Rivet
Published on 25th July, 2008
The four decade-long relationship between Egypt and Mauritius has led to the emergence of a strong diplomatic will between the two countries that helps promote mutually beneficial economic and cultural exchanges, says Bakry Roushdy Elammary, Ambassador of Egypt to Mauritius.
Joint venture insulin factory on the cards
“Mauritius can benefit from the Egyptian expertise in sectors such as health, tourism, agriculture and even fisheries. Diabetes is among the non communicable diseases affecting a large number of the Mauritian population. To respond to the need of this sector, we propose the setting up of an insulin factory in Mauritius. This factory will cater first to the local demand and, in the long run, export to the African continent market,” Elammary says.
The tourism field is also recognized as a potential sector for enhanced cooperation. “We are presently discussing with the Minister of Tourism, Leisure and External Communications to promote our respective countries as tourist destinations. The green tourism proposed by Mauritius and the numerous historical and archaeological wonders of Egypt will undoubtedly attract tourists,” he adds.
However, for Elammary, the first step towards this increased cooperation should be the setting up of direct flights between the two countries. Despite being the only Arab country with a permanent residence in Mauritius, Egypt has no direct airline that communicates with the country.
“We have had an excellent relationship since Mauritius became independent but a lot remains to be done to increase trade exchanges. We should seriously consider the setting up of a joint technical, economic and scientific committee to evaluate and suggest possible areas for greater in-depth cooperation,” the ambassador says.
He further points out: “The addition of Le Morne to the World Heritage list is an exceptional achievement as is the Aapravasi Ghat. These sites represent another potential area of cooperation between our two countries, particularly for preservation and restoration. Moreover, Mauritius counts a number of shipwrecks, particularly around the south of the island. These recount quite a part of the island's history and should be preserved as much as possible. We hope to bring our contribution to the Ministry of Arts and Culture in the coming months.”
For Elammary, the cooperation between Mauritius and Egypt has so far been effective and productive because both countries share practically the same views on the regional and international platforms and forums. “Our countries have enjoyed mutual support in the economic, cultural and social fields. The volume of trade has dramatically increased during the last few years to touch $20 million from an annual average $1 million, particularly after Egypt joined the COMESA ,” Elammary says.
He adds: “The potential for deeper cooperation exists. We now have to set up the appropriate trade, economic, cultural and social frameworks necessary for this cooperation. Besides, in the training field, the Egyptian Fund for the Technical Cooperation with the African countries provides funds and expertise for Mauritians in fields such as diplomacy, police and agriculture, among others.”
The tourism field is also recognized as a potential sector for enhanced cooperation. “We are presently discussing with the Minister of Tourism, Leisure and External Communications to promote our respective countries as tourist destinations. The green tourism proposed by Mauritius and the numerous historical and archaeological wonders of Egypt will undoubtedly attract tourists,” he adds.
However, for Elammary, the first step towards this increased cooperation should be the setting up of direct flights between the two countries. Despite being the only Arab country with a permanent residence in Mauritius, Egypt has no direct airline that communicates with the country.
“We have had an excellent relationship since Mauritius became independent but a lot remains to be done to increase trade exchanges. We should seriously consider the setting up of a joint technical, economic and scientific committee to evaluate and suggest possible areas for greater in-depth cooperation,” the ambassador says.
He further points out: “The addition of Le Morne to the World Heritage list is an exceptional achievement as is the Aapravasi Ghat. These sites represent another potential area of cooperation between our two countries, particularly for preservation and restoration. Moreover, Mauritius counts a number of shipwrecks, particularly around the south of the island. These recount quite a part of the island's history and should be preserved as much as possible. We hope to bring our contribution to the Ministry of Arts and Culture in the coming months.”
For Elammary, the cooperation between Mauritius and Egypt has so far been effective and productive because both countries share practically the same views on the regional and international platforms and forums. “Our countries have enjoyed mutual support in the economic, cultural and social fields. The volume of trade has dramatically increased during the last few years to touch $20 million from an annual average $1 million, particularly after Egypt joined the COMESA ,” Elammary says.
He adds: “The potential for deeper cooperation exists. We now have to set up the appropriate trade, economic, cultural and social frameworks necessary for this cooperation. Besides, in the training field, the Egyptian Fund for the Technical Cooperation with the African countries provides funds and expertise for Mauritians in fields such as diplomacy, police and agriculture, among others.”