Mauritius’ past and contemporary history give it a prime geopolitical position on the world map. Courted by the greatest powers, both traditional and emerging, the island is endowed with a web of state and supra-state representations of all kinds, providing expatriates and locals alike with a wealth of economic, cultural and social opportunities, public or private… Jean-Louis Floch
Its dense network is made up of embassies and high commissions, both regional and international. Mauritius is also home to a number of consulates. This teeming international crossroads is also home to supra-state organizations such as the EU, intergovernmental bodies such as the Southern African Development Community (SADEC) and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), the UN and, last but not least, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), which is very active here.
If so many world powers are making eyes at our charming little island, it’s because the Indian Ocean represents a major geopolitical challenge! It is a strategic location in both military and economic terms (American and British bases in the Middle East, preventive action against China, French presence in Mayotte and La Réunion, military-economic competition between India and China, the island’s link between Africa and Asia…).
So much the better for Mauritius, the region’s rare stable and virtuous state! The consequences are prolific for the island: economic opportunities, cultural events and social programs abound.
Flourishing economic relations with the rest of the world
France and Mauritius enjoy privileged relations based on a long shared history. Their trade is dynamic, with significant French investment in key sectors such as tourism, financial services, real estate, information and communication technologies (ICT), infrastructure and sustainable energy. France is the leading country in terms of direct investment in Mauritius, with Rs 5.4 billion.
France is also Mauritius’ main bilateral partner, notably through AFD and its partners, either alone or in collaboration with the EU, which provides loans to both private and public players. Not forgetting the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) in Mauritius, which has developed a powerful network of partnerships with the authorities.
The UK, with its unique historical links and Mauritius’s membership of the Commonwealth, has a long-standing and close relationship with the island, through its Embassy and High Commission. A number of British companies already operate in Mauritius in sectors such as banking, insurance, ICT, education, renewable energy, manufacturing, hotels and real estate. In 2025, a strategic partnership, valued at £1.2 billion, has been agreed to further accelerate the development of economic exchanges between the two countries.
Mauritius andIndia, represented by its Embassy and High Commission, enjoy an exceptional relationship, stemming from shared ties of history, language, culture, heritage, kinship and values. A meaningful anecdote: March 12 was declared Mauritius Independence Day in homage to the date of Gandhi’s historic Salt March…
Economic and trade relations between the two countries have strengthened significantly since the early 2000s, with reciprocal foreign direct investment (FDI) (Mauritius has invested USD 277 billion in India since 2000), a double taxation treaty, and subsidies from India to Mauritius (USD 853 million since 2016) for a host of ambitious projects, including the famous Metro Express…
In March 2025, the visit of Indian PM Modi led to the signing of a number of key agreements in fields as varied as criminal investigations, maritime traffic surveillance, infrastructure, diplomacy, trade, finance and the ocean economy. Then, in July, the Indian Business Council Mauritius (IBC) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) signed a historic trade memorandum of understanding. Finally, the finalization of the INR-MUR Local Currency Settlement (LCS) System will enable the Indian rupee (INR) to be integrated into the settlement and payment system of the Common Market for Southern Africa (COMESA).
The United States, meanwhile, is strengthening its cooperation in education, maritime safety and climate resilience, recognizing Mauritius as a gateway to Africa and South Asia. A new embassy will be opened in 2026. Canada, a member of the Commonwealth, is maintaining direct investments of $4.9 billion in 2023.
China, like India, has understood that Mauritius, a member of both the African Union and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), is ideally placed to foster shared prosperity and growth between Africa and Asia. Indeed, the island is positioned as a platform for Chinese exporters to mainland Africa and vice versa. Thanks to a solid network of strategic free trade agreements, Mauritius is the pivotal point in a context where Africa is a supplier of raw materials (food and mining, among others) and, on the other hand, China is the largest producer and exporter of products.
Relations between Mauritius and the Russian Federation are of a different nature. Mauritius is interested in developing cooperation with Russia in the fields of maritime safety, tourism infrastructure and transport. The island is also interested in importing Russian petroleum products. On the tourism front, Mauritius has negotiated an agreement with the Russian airline Aeroflot for the launch of direct flights in 2023. To open up to Russian tourists, Mauritius intends to authorize Russian payment cards to overcome the problem of sanctions, which oblige Russians to bring cash with them.
Japan only opened an embassy in Mauritius in 2017, but the sad episode of the oil spill caused in 2020 by the grounding of the MV Wakashio brought the two countries closer together, and on September 29, 2024 they signed an agreement on financial support of Rs 172 million to the Mauritian government for the supply of medical equipment.
Other foreign representations in Mauritius offer project opportunities of all kinds, such as the Belgium,Germany,Spain,Italy and Switzerland, Madagascar, the Seychelles, Senegal, Pakistan, Egypt and Libya, either directly through their embassies or consulates, or within supra- or inter-state institutions: SADEC, which aims for the development and economic growth of the states of Southern Africa, COMESA, which aims for economic integration and the promotion of peace and security in a major market (12 million km²), and the World Bank.2) or the Commonwealth.
Finally, and perhaps the most fundamental of Mauritius’ external relations, is theEuropean Union (EU), represented in Port-Louis by the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Mauritius and the Republic of Seychelles . This commitment takes many forms, including financial support in the fields of education, fisheries, technology, trade and investment, underpinned by the Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement and the Sustainable Fisheries Agreement.
The EU has opened its duty-free and quota-free market to Mauritian exports and remains Mauritius’ main trading partner, accounting for 20.4% of the island’s total trade, followed by China (12.7%), South Africa (10%), India (8.3%) and the United Arab Emirates (7.2%). With the signing of the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (IEPA) in 2012, trade between the EU and Mauritius has increased by 45.5% since 2011.
An intense and varied cultural life
Culture, too, is a perfect and necessary medium for enriching relationships. If Mauritius has given birth to great artists such as Malcolm de Chazal or Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, it is also a stage where extraordinary and varied talents and places flourish, and where foreign states have understood the importance of investing to develop their influence and embody their credibility.
There are so many cultural venues in Mauritius: the Château de Labourdonnais, the Institut Français de Maurice, the Alliance Française, the Blue Penny Museum, the Théâtre de Port-Louis, or the Caudan Arts Centre… Not to mention the various cultural centers under the authority of embassies such as the Russian Art and Culture Centre, the Chinese Cultural Centre, the Nepalese Swami Vivekananda International Convention Centre (SVICC), the Mahatma Gandhi Institute (MGI) or the Indira Gandhi Centre for Culture under the auspices of the Indian High Commission in Mauritius…
Cultural events abound, some ephemeral, others perennial. Some are revived after long years of closure, such as the Port-Louis theater, the oldest in the southern hemisphere (1822), which will reopen in 2025. Local initiatives such as the Green Village near Le Morne also offer shows within a sustainable development framework.
The religious is also adorned with the cultural: some Indian festivals are veritable happenings! Divali, the festival of light, marvels at houses illuminated at night by small traditional oil lamps and cascades of electric garlands, while Holi, the festival of colors, promises passers-by to be assailed, with laughter and joy, by jets of multicolored powders!
Numerous historic buildings dot the cities, such as the Aapravasi Ghat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which bears witness to the island’s post-abolition migration history. Next door, the Musée Intercontinental de l’Esclavage (Intercontinental Slavery Museum) offers a fascinating insight into the island’s painful past.
Many countries invite themselves to Mauritius, and their embassies also play the cultural game. Parade of Chinese dragons, a gala performance by artists from the Hangzhou Opera and Dance Drama Theatre. organized by the Ministry of Arts and Culture in collaboration with the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Cultural Centre, or the traditional dragon boat race on the sea in Port-Louis… The Orient isn’t so far away after all!
The Japanese Embassy regularly organizes free film screenings and traditional music and theater performances. This year, it also supported an extraordinary multi-sensory cultural event, Gokan Japan, on the esplanade of La Croisette in Grand Baie, which will be repeated every year. Inspired by the Japanese concept of the “five senses”, the aim was to awaken the senses of onlookers through Japanese gastronomy, art, music, tradition and innovation: tastings of tempura, dorayaki or monaka, traditional Japanese dances, martial arts demonstrations, live Japanese music performances, origami and calligraphy workshops…
Does the commemorative bust of the famous Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, to be erected in 2019 in the Parc des Salines in Port-Louis, presage the imminent arrival of the Russian ambassador, Irada Zeynalova, as a firm supporter of Culture? Her Excellency has pulled out all the stops to organize cultural events of all kinds: performance the Gzhel Theatre, concerts by the Russian Conservatory, free monthly screenings of Russian films…. Through the The RussDom (House of Russia) Russian cultural center is located in Saint-Paul, in the center of the island, and offers symphony concerts, art and photography exhibitions, film screenings and festivals, and a song festival.
A pyrotechnic show by Italy’s Simone Modafferi or a dance performance by his compatriot Ambra Occhipinti at Green Village, a concert by Sicilian Alborosie, Europe’s leading new-roots reggae artist, at Bambous, an exhibition of some 30 works by Picasso at the Blue Penny Museum, or an Andalusian Festival at the Caudan Arts Centre… Europe is certainly not to be outdone!
Arriving from South Africa, the Drakensberg Boys’ Choir, a joyful and entertaining choir, carries, beyond its sublime children’s voices, an implicit message of fraternity to put an end once and for all to the demons of apartheid. For good measure, the Nelson Mandela Centre invites visitors to learn more about the arts and culture of the African continent.
This cultural diversity makes Mauritius much more than a tourist destination: it’s a huge creative scene where a multicultural world is being reinvented. Art galleries, concerts, associations and private initiatives abound, testifying to a unique creative paradigm that continues to grow and evolve.
From the four corners of the globe, social programs
While the artistic world is often sensitive to the social precariousness so prevalent in Mauritius, it can only bear witness to it, not curb it. Foreign institutions, whether state or supra-state, have the means to combat it. If Mauritius is approached by numerous donors of social and environmental programs, this is sometimes the result of its geostrategic appeal. This is not the case for the United Nations Development Program (NPUD). whose mission is to eradicate poverty, hunger and exclusion in some 170 countries and territories.
The EU can also boast hundreds of achievements in this field, such as the project “Improving the living conditions of rural families through the training and professional integration of out-of-school youth and vulnerable women”, or the Climate Change Observatory for the South-West Indian Ocean region.
The climate issue is partly linked to the social issue, insofar as the most vulnerable are the most affected by natural disasters, and this is also reflected in the programs of governments and NGOs. For example, China is working to accelerate Africa’s achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in priority areas such as poverty eradication, food security, development financing and climate action.
The Anglo-Saxon world operates differently. In the United States, the emphasis is on support for school education, in particular children with special educational needs, and support hundreds of train-the-trainer programs. Lhe Australian government has developed the Direct Aid Program, a small grants scheme designed to support not-for-profit organizations working in local communities on activities promoting sustainable and equitable development. Canada, in addition to its participation in the actions of major international organizations, has created the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, active in the fields of the environment, gender equality and governance.
India, for its part, is developing “High Impact Community Development Projects”, including children’s playgrounds, renovation of green spaces and clean energy projects for the community. France is doing a great deal, notably through AFD’s public financing. The example of the financing agreement with Mauritius at the time of the Covid crisis speaks for itself: €300 million was allocated to restore a sustainable low-carbon economy, with specific support for health, gender equality, the economy and social protection.
It’s fascinating to note how Mauritius’ importance on the international scene is inversely proportional to its size! The country can thank the whims of nature and the jolts of history, but can also congratulate itself on knowing how to make the most of its singular position. The benefits it will reap undoubtedly promise Mauritians and other island residents a flourishing future. The list of courtiers is long, and Mauritius knows how to make itself wanted!
Mauritius: A Crossroads of International Relations
Both its past and contemporary history afford Mauritius a prime geopolitical position on the world map. Courted by the greatest powers, both traditional and emerging, the island boasts a rich tapestry of state and supra-state representations of every kind, capable of providing expatriates and locals alike with numerous opportunities-economic, cultural, and social, both public and private…
This dense network comprises embassies and high commissions, both regional and international. Mauritius also hosts numerous consulates. Operating within this bustling international hub are supra-state organisations such as the EU, intergovernmental bodies like the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), the UN, and-last but not least-the French Development Agency (AFD), which maintains a highly active presence there.
If so many global powers are casting admiring glances towards our charming little island, it’s because the Indian Ocean represents a major geopolitical prize! It constitutes a strategic location both militarily and economically (American and British bases positioned towards the Middle East and as a preventive measure against China, French presence supporting Mayotte and Réunion, military-economic competition between India and China, the island’s role as a bridge between Africa and Asia…).
All the better for Mauritius-a rare beacon of stability and good governance in the region! The consequences are tremendously beneficial for the island: economic opportunities, cultural events, and social programmes abound.
Flourishing Economic Relations with the Rest of the World
France maintains privileged relations with Mauritius, being the leading direct investor with Rs 5.4 billion across tourism, financial services, property, ICT, infrastructure, and sustainable energy. The French Development Agency (AFD) serves as the principal bilateral partner, providing loans to private and public stakeholders, whilst the France-Mauritius Chamber of Commerce has developed robust partnerships with authorities.
The United Kingdom, leveraging historical ties and Commonwealth membership, operates through numerous companies in banking, insurance, ICT, education, renewable energy, manufacturing, hospitality, and property. A strategic partnership worth £1.2 billion was ratified in 2025 to accelerate economic exchanges.
The European Union represents perhaps Mauritius’s most fundamental external relationship. The EU remains the island’s principal trading partner, accounting for 20.4% of total trade, followed by China (12.7%), South Africa (10%), India (8.3%), and the UAE (7.2%). The 2012 Interim Economic Partnership Agreement increased EU-Mauritius trade by 45.5% since 2011, with duty-free, quota-free market access for Mauritian exports.
India enjoys an exceptional relationship with Mauritius, rooted in shared history, language, culture, and values-symbolically reflected in Mauritius Independence Day being set on 12th March to honour Gandhi’s Salt March. Economic ties have strengthened dramatically since 2000: Mauritius has invested USD 277 billion in India, whilst India has provided USD 853 million in subsidies since 2016 for projects including the Metro Express. PM Modi’s March 2025 visit yielded agreements on criminal investigations, maritime surveillance, infrastructure, and finance. The INR-MUR Local Currency Settlement System will integrate the Indian rupee into COMESA’s payment system.
China recognises Mauritius’s strategic position as a bridge between Africa and Asia. The island serves as a platform for Chinese exporters to continental Africa, leveraging its free trade agreements where Africa supplies raw materials whilst China provides manufactured goods. Japan, despite opening its embassy only in 2017, strengthened ties following the 2020 MV Wakashio oil spill, signing a Rs 172 million agreement in 2024 for medical equipment support.
The United States is strengthening cooperation in education, maritime security, and climate resilience, viewing Mauritius as a gateway to Africa and South Asia. A new embassy will open in 2026. Canada maintains USD 4.9 billion in direct investments as of 2023.
Russia focuses on maritime security, tourist infrastructure, and transport cooperation. Mauritius seeks to import Russian petroleum products and negotiated direct Aeroflot flights in 2023, authorising Russian payment cards to facilitate Russian tourism despite sanctions.
Other nations including Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Madagascar, Seychelles, Senegal, Pakistan, Egypt, and Libya offer diverse project opportunities through embassies, consulates, or supra-state institutions. Mauritius benefits from membership in SADC, COMESA (Common Market covering 12 million km²), and the Commonwealth, positioning itself strategically for economic integration and regional development.
This comprehensive network of international partnerships establishes Mauritius as a crucial hub in the Indian Ocean, facilitating trade and investment flows between continents whilst maintaining its role as a stable, well-governed nation in a strategically vital region.
An Intense and Varied Cultural Scene
Culture serves as the perfect medium for fostering enriching relationships. Whilst Mauritius has produced great artists like Malcolm de Chazal and Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, it also provides a stage where exceptional talents and diverse venues flourish, with foreign states recognising the importance of cultural investment to develop influence and establish credibility.
Maurice boasts numerous cultural venues: Château de Labourdonnais, Institut Français de Maurice, Alliance Française, Blue Penny Museum, Port Louis Theatre, and Caudan Arts Centre, alongside embassy cultural centers including the Russian Centre for Art and Culture, Chinese Cultural Centre, Nepal’s Swami Vivekananda International Convention Centre (SVICC), Mahatma Gandhi Institute, and the Indira Gandhi Centre for Culture.
Cultural events abound-some ephemeral, others enduring. The Port Louis Theatre, the southern hemisphere’s oldest (1822), reopened in 2025 after years of closure. Local initiatives like Green Village near Le Morne offer performances within a sustainable development framework.
Religious festivals become cultural spectacles: Divali transforms houses into illuminated wonderlands with traditional oil lamps and cascading electric lights, whilst Holi delights passersby with joyful volleys of multicoloured powder.
Historical buildings dot the cities, including Aapravasi Ghat, a UNESCO World Heritage site documenting post-abolition immigration history. The adjacent Intercontinental Museum of Slavery provides a stark glimpse into the island’s painful past.
Embassies also actively promote their cultures: China organises dragon parades, Hangzhou Opera performances, and dragon boat races. Japan hosts film screenings and traditional performances, whilst supporting the annual Gokan Japan festival in Grand Baie-a multisensory celebration of Japanese cuisine, arts, martial demonstrations, and origami workshops.
Russia’s Ambassador Irada Zeynalova champions cultural events through the “RussDom” cultural center in Saint-Paul, offering symphony concerts, art exhibitions, film festivals, and monthly Russian film screenings. The 2019 Pushkin bust in Port Louis’s Salines Park symbolises this growing cultural engagement.
European presence includes Italian pyrotechnic artist Simone Modafferi’s and dancer Ambra Occhipinti’s performances, Sicilian reggae star Alborosie’s concerts, Picasso exhibitions at Blue Penny Museum, and Andalusian festivals featuring flamenco.
The Drakensberg Boys’ Choir from South Africa delivers messages of brotherhood, moving beyond apartheid’s legacy, whilst the Nelson Mandela Centre educates about African arts and culture.
Social Programmes from Every Corner of the Planet
Beyond cultural initiatives, international institutions address social challenges through targeted programmes. The United Nations Development Programme operates in 170 countries to eradicate poverty, hunger, and exclusion.
The European Union implements hundreds of projects, including rural family support through youth training and programmes for vulnerable women, plus climate change observatories for the southwestern Indian Ocean region.
China accelerates UN Sustainable Development Goals across Africa, focusing on poverty eradication, food security, and climate action. The United States emphasises educational support, particularly for children with special needs, funding hundreds of teacher training programmes.
Australia created the Direct Aid Programme providing small grants to non-profit organisations promoting sustainable development. Canada established the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives supporting environmental, gender equality, and governance projects.
India develops high-impact community projects including children’s playgrounds, green space renovations, and clean energy initiatives. France, primarily through AFD funding, provided €300 million during COVID-19 for sustainable, low-carbon economic recovery, specifically supporting healthcare, gender equality, and social protection.
It’s fascinating how Mauritius’s international importance is inversely proportional to its size! The country benefits from geographical fortune and historical circumstances whilst cleverly capitalising on its unique position. With such a lengthy queue of suitors, Mauritius certainly knows how to play hard to get!
