Africa-Press – Mauritius. A half-day colloquium focusing on the partnership action between Mauritius and Reunion Island in the fight against termites and the protection of the biodiversity, was launched this morning, in presence of the Ambassador of France to Mauritius, Mrs Florence Caussé-Tissier, and the First Counselor of the European Union, Mrs Florence Van Houtte, at the Caudan Arts Centre in Port-Louis.
The project is being led at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanic Garden in Pamplemousses by the L’Observatoire Régional de Lutte Anti-Termites (ORLAT) in the context of the Interreg V programme with the aim to strengthen cross-border cooperation.
In her address, Mrs Caussé-Tissier highlighted the strong bilateral ties and the friendship existing between Mauritius and Reunion Island. “The project initiated in 2014 by the ORLAT and the SSR Botanic Garden is yet another example of this fruitful collaboration”, she said.
Since then, she indicated, experts from both countries have been able to share meaningful exchanges and best practices as regards preservation of the SSR Botanic Garden.
She pointed out that the protection of the biodiversity is a key priority for France and the latter is doing all to provide Mauritius with the necessary assistance and expertise to preserve its cultural heritage and conserve the ecosystem.
Mrs Caussé-Tissier urged Mauritius to seek further support from France and Reunion Island so as to accelerate ecological transition and foster a sustainable agriculture.
For her part, Mrs Van Houtte, stressed on the need to mobilise resources and efforts to preserve global biodiversity in the face of various challenges. The Interreg, she stated, is one of the key instruments of the EU to support cooperation across borders through project funding.
Its aim is to jointly tackle common challenges and find shared solutions in fields such as health, environment, research, education, transport, sustainable energy and more, she added.
As for the President of the Chambre de Métiers et de L’Artisanat de la Réunion (CMAR), Mr Bernard Picardo, indicated that the CMAR provides technical assistance to the SSR Botanic Garden since many years to combat the issue of termites. The event, he said, will help reflect on the achievements and the progress that have been made so far and the way forward.
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