Mauritius urges Bangladeshi investors to invest in pharmaceutical sector

Mauritius has urged Bangladeshi investors to invest in the island nation's pharmaceutical sector.

Mauritian Foreign Secretary Haymandoyal Dillum made the proposal to Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen who is an official tour of the country from 13-15 February, said a press release. 

Mauritius being the gateway to other African countries would help the pharmaceutical companies export to other African countries as well, Haymandoyal Dillum said. 

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen underscored that contract farming can be an area of investment in Mauritius. He expressed Bangladesh´s keenness to invest in contract farming.

He also paid a courtesy call to Mauritian Foreign Minister Alan Ganoo. At the very outset, he expressed his sincere gratitude to the government of Mauritius for naming 'Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Street' in Plaine Verte in honour of the Father of the Nation.

The foreign secretary sought support from the Mauritius government for fulfilling the tenure successfully as the current chair of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).

As the current chair and Mauritius being the host of IORA, Masud Bin Momen mentioned that both the countries can infuse new ideas and undertake collaborative projects where development partners are keen to invest.

The Mauritian Foreign Secretary emphasised tourism, fisheries and ocean economy –three cluster areas of cooperation to work together under IORA.

Masud Bin Momen highlighted the importance of MOU on Foreign Office Consultation between Bangladesh and Mauritius and invited his counterpart to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time to sign the MOU. 

The Mauritian foreign minister highlighted close collaboration between Bangladesh and the island nation on the tourism sector. Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen replied that in order to promote tourism, visa processing must be made easier. He proposed to appoint an Honorary Consul in Bangladesh to ease consular and visa processing or a Consular Officer from Mauritian Embassy in New Delhi could visit Dhaka at a regular interval for visa purposes or online visa facilities can be introduced.

The foreign secretary also stressed the need for direct air connectivity for promoting tourism. He put emphasise on concluding the air service agreement between the two countries.

Ambassador Masud expressed appreciation that Mauritius is hosting a good number of Bangladeshi expatriates working there. He extended sincere thanks to the Mauritian foreign minister for arranging vaccines for the Bangladeshi expatriate workers during the Covid pandemic.

Ambassador Masud expressed gratitude to the government of Mauritius for their consistent support on the Rohingya issue.

The Mauritian foreign minister invited a Bangladeshi delegation to be led by the Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, including businessmen, IT experts and private entrepreneurs to explore the possible areas of collaboration and investment.

Masud Bin Momen invited both the Mauritian foreign minister and foreign secretary to visit Bangladesh this year at their convenience.