The second inter-ministerial meeting in the context of Dubai Expo 2020 on the theme Connecting Minds Creating the Future was chaired, this morning in Port-Louis, by the Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Alan Ganoo. The Expo will be held from October 2021 to March 2022.
The meeting discussed the status of progress with regards to the participation of Mauritius at the Expo, especially with the positioning of the national Pavilion, under the theme Roots of the Future, in the Opportunity District and the various opportunities to showcase the country so as to promote trade, investment and the tourism industry.
Several Ministers whose respective sectors will be represented at the Expo were present at the meeting. They are: the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Housing and Land Use Planning, Minister of Tourism, Mr Louis Steven Obeegadoo; the Minister of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity, Mrs Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo; the Minister of Financial Services and Good Governance, Mr Mahen Kumar Seeruttun; the Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation, Mr Darsanand Balgobin; the Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, Mrs Kalpana Devi Koonjoo-Shah; and the Minister of Arts and Cultural Heritage, Mr Avinash Teeluck. The Commissioner General of the Mauritius Pavilion for Dubai Expo 2020 and Chief Executive Officer of the Economic Development Board (EDB), Mr Ken Poonoosamy, was also present.
The meeting also took note that the Mauritius Pavilion is nearly completed and will be delivered on 1st September. The Mauritius Pavilion which will be positioned in a strategic location in the Opportunity District representing the heart of the Expo site near the United Arab Emirates Pavilion will play a coordinating role with the deployment of ongoing dynamic programmes to promote Mauritian products, business offerings, culture and people.
During the inter-ministerial meeting, all the Ministers gave an update of the respective activities that would be held during the Expo consisting of namely, the inclusion of people with disabilities to participate in the cultural programmes; the holding of a financial week; an Information and Communication Technology week where Mauritius will showcase the first Mauritian satellite (a CubeSat – MIR-SAT1) and will launch the 5G mobile network; a Mauritian week in the context of the country’s National Day celebrations in March and an International Creole week and cultural exchanges; a roadmap promoting the Welfare State to portray Mauritius as a successful model of a Welfare State; promotion of the tourism sector during the Travel and Connectivity week and medical tourism by encouraging a better synergy between Air Mauritius and Emirates Airlines.
In his statement, the inter-ministerial meeting’s Chairperson, the Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Alan Ganoo, expressed satisfaction as to the progress achieved with regards to the preparation done by the different Ministries and stakeholders in collaboration with the EDB.
The Minister announced that the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth will also be attending the Dubai Expo in March in the context of National Day celebrations whereby several activities will be held during a Mauritian Week. He recalled that the positioning of the Mauritius Pavilion in a prime location of the Expo will serve as an opportunity for the country to showcase its destination to the world.
For his part, the CEO of the EDB, Mr Poonoosamy, highlighted that the Expo is the most expected worldwide event for 2021. It will act as an excellent platform for Mauritius to exhibit, showcase and promote the know-how of the country in various facets ranging from investment, business, trade, technology and tourism, he said. This he added, will create more visibility for the country during the different thematic weeks which are scheduled during the event. The Mauritius week, he added, will help promote Mauritius on the world map.