Africa-Press – Mauritius. The 246th anniversary of the independence of the United States of America was commemorated yesterday afternoon during a National Day Reception held at Le Méridien Hotel, in Pointe aux Piments, in the presence of the President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Prithvirajsing Roopun, and the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth.
The Fourth of July also known as Independence Day has been a federal holiday in the U. S. since 1941. The National Day Reception, hosted by the Chargé d’Affaires a.
i. to the U. S. Embassy in Mauritius and the Seychelles, Mr Satrajit Sardar, was attended by Members of the Diplomatic Corps and other personalities. ‘The Fourth of July is fundamentally a time to reflect, from where we have been to where we are going.
The American experience, since the founding of our country, is based on shared challenges,’ recalled Chargé Sardar in his address on the occasion. The American founding fathers, and their successors, certainly faced adversity in trying to establish their dream of a perfect Union, and while the trajectory of the U.
S. has not been perfect, it has been an experience that has allowed us to grow and persevere together, he emphasised. According to him, in the past few years, the United States, Mauritius, and the rest of the world faced a challenge the American founding fathers could not have imagined.
The COVID-19 pandemic, he said, attacked us in ways that led to tragic consequences for families, communities and countries. ‘But it underscored that even through the most difficult of times, we can come together as friends and partners to face our challenges together’, Mr Sardar highlighted.
On that note, he reminisced that when the vaccine became available, the U. S. worked quickly and closely with Mauritius to donate and distribute more than 380,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine to the island, saving thousands of lives.
Personal protective equipment was also distributed to Mauritian healthcare workers to perform their task, he stated. Chargé Sardar, however, observed that the ties between Mauritius and the U.S. go beyond the collaboration triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, and underlined that the U. S. is presently the third export market of Mauritius. In 2021, he indicated, Mauritian exports to the U. S. represented more than USD 256 million.
He further elaborated on the vast cooperation ties that exist between the countries which include: facilitating several study programmes and exchanges for 147 Mauritians during the past five years; university sponsored programmes currently allowing 323 Mauritians to study in the U. S.
; launching in 2022 by AFRICOM of the 11th edition of Cutlass Express to reinforce regional maritime security; grant allocation to support Mauritian-led initiatives to fight global warming; and bilateral trade amounting to more than USD 330 million as testimony of economic collaboration.
The Chargé d’Affaires, moreover, emphasised that the cordial ties between the U. S. and Mauritius are based on the common values of democracy, diversity and pluralism.
He reaffirmed commitment in partnering with Government and the people of Mauritius to strengthen our mutual interests and advance our common ties and values.
The anniversary of the USA’s independence is celebrated each year on the Fourth of July. The tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution.
On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favour of Independence, and two days later delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson.
From 1776 to the present day, the Fourth of July has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues.
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