On September 7, commencing at around 15:35 for approximately 20 minutes, Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a telephone talk with the Honorable Pravind Jugnauth, Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius.At the outset, Minister MOTEGI paid respect to the government and the people of Mauritius for responding to the oil spill off its coast under difficult circumstances. Minister MOTEGI also explained that the Government of Japan took the accident very seriously, and upon the request of Mauritius, immediately dispatched the Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Expert Teams as well as provided equipment, and expressed his intention to continue to send experts.

Following the outset remarks, Minister MOTEGI mentioned that he recognized the issues of the restoration and revival of Mauritius would be covering a wide range of areas including the environment, the economy and the society. Based on such understanding, Minister MOTEGI expressed his intention to advance cooperation from the mid- and long-term perspectives in a swift manner.

In particular, Minister MOTEGI also conveyed Japan’s readiness to swiftly carry out following cooperation based on the requests by Mauritius: (1) ensuring safety of navigation for preventing accidents to recur, and strengthening the capability of initial response to oil spill; (2) dispatching experts to conserve and restore mangrove forests, and monitoring of the environment including coral reefs, and restoring ecosystems to recover the contaminated environment; and (3) providing fishery related equipment and promoting inshore fisheries to restore livelihoods of people in affected areas, especially of small-scale fishery communities.

Minister MOTEGI also explained that Japan would like to consider other necessary cooperation to support recovery and development of the Mauritian economy, listening to the needs of Mauritius including financial aspects. Minister MOTEGI also explained his intention to carry out cooperation of an unprecedented scale by sending a public-private business mission to promote tourism and trade between Japan and Mauritius, if the situation allows, and by holding seminars on trade and investment.

In response, Prime Minister Jugnauth appreciated the immediate dispatches of the Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Expert Teams as well as the quick deliveries of equipment, and renewed his appreciation to Japan’s assistance to the COVID-19 counter measures. Prime Minister Jugnauth reiterated his heartfelt appreciation to Japan for extending the proposal of future cooperation during today’s meeting, and expressed his expectation to receive Japan’s continuous supports, since urgent tasks lied not only in restoration of the environments, which was deteriorated due to the oil spill, but also in the recovery of economy which had been damaged since the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Jugnauth stated that Japan is not responsible for the accident, and stressed that Mauritius appreciated Japan’s various cooperation, such as swift dispatches of the JDR Expert Teams.

Both sides shared the view on continuing close cooperation with each other in order to restore the environment, and develop the economy and the society of Mauritius.