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She added, “Mauritius is already taking a number of important steps in this area,
including reducing pesticides and driving self-sufficiency by promoting local crops, agro-
processing, and smart agriculture. Our investors can support these efforts and develop
value chains that deliver greater and more consistent benefits to producers – and
ensure their products find new markets across Asia and on into Europe.”

Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State, said. “The Comprehensive
Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE and the Republic of Mauritius is an
important milestone in our bilateral relations. Similar to the UAE, Mauritius has
leveraged its strategic location between two continents to become a vibrant business
and logistics hub. This CEPA will propel trade volumes to new heights and solidify the
status of Mauritius as a global gateway to Africa. Furthermore, it will drive essential
investment into key sectors of the Mauritian economy, in particular energy, mining,
agriculture, and tourism, and ensure its financial system is built upon strong and
sustainable foundations.”

Sheikh Shakhboot added, “The UAE’s latest Comprehensive Economic Partnership
Agreement with Mauritius – the first the UAE has signed with a country in Africa –
reflects our commitment to deepening our ties with Africa, a fast-growing continent that
will be key to the world’s green energy and food security agendas in the decades to
come.”

He stated, “The UAE has strengthened its international partnerships over the past five
decades and continues to build economic competitiveness and sustainability. The
objective is to become an international capital of investment and economic innovation,
fostering development opportunities by signing comprehensive partnership agreements
(CEPAs) with active economies.”

He also underlined that “The UAE has signed CEPAs with strategic partners and as part
of its long-term strategy to diversify its economic ties and develop strong international
partnerships in trading, industry, and investment, to create more opportunities for the
people of the region to achieve vital economic development.”

Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, stated, “The UAE
remains firm in its belief that trade is the key to long-term, sustainable growth as well as
the continued diversification of our economy. It is why we are seeking to increase the
value of our non-oil foreign trade to AED 4 trillion by 2031, almost double the AED 2.23
trillion we recorded in 2022. Our Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
programme is a central component of this mission, creating a new network of trading
partners across the world that will enable us to establish new market opportunities for
our exporters, increase the flow of goods into our ports and industrial zones, create new
avenues for investment and benefit from the latest innovations and ideas from the
global economy.”

https://wam.ae/en/article/b4ag6p1-uae-ministers-officials-emphasise-importance