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Bilateral meetings on co-management of the Mascarene Plateau continue in Seychelles

Seychelles hosted a delegation from Mauritius for bilateral talks on the management of the seabed of the Mascarene Plateau Region from the 09th to the 11th May 2022, at the Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy.

The two countries have been meeting several times a year to discuss the management of the Joint Management Area (JMA) since 2012 when they signed two treaties to exercise their sovereign rights over the seabed and subsoil of the Mascarene Plateau.

The Technical Meeting that was held on Monday 09th and Tuesday 10th of May was co-chaired by Mr. Philippe Michaud, Consultant of the Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy from Seychelles and H.E. Mr. Jagdish D. Koonjul, G.O.S.K, Permanent Representative of Mauritius to the UN in New York.

Mr. Michaud welcomed the Members of the Mauritian Delegation. During the meetings, the Consultant mentioned that Mauritius and Seychelles, have common interests for the Ocean and affairs relating to it. He further added that the COVID-19 pandemic is slowly ameliorating and that should facilitate scientific research, such as the Monaco Explorations and therefore we should maximize the benefits from these opportunities and make sure that our national scientists are fully engaged in these expeditions. Amb. Koonjul thanked the Government of Seychelles for the warm welcome. The Ambassador stated that Seychelles and Mauritius have the potential to build even further on their existing bilateral ties through its shared Extended Continental Shelf where the two countries can explore certain avenues of cooperation further.

The Joint Commission Meeting on the other hand was held on Wednesday the 11th of May and was co-chaired by Mr. Kenneth Racombo, Principal Secretary for the Department of Blue Economy as the head of the Seychelles delegation and Mr. N.K. Ballah, the Secretary to the Cabinet and Head of Civil Service as the Head of the Mauritius Delegation.

This year the Joint Commission had its 22nd meeting and the Technical Committee of the Joint Commission its 27th meeting. The meetings were conducted in a fruitful amosphere representing the continuous collaboration and cooperation between the two states and showcases the ongoing work being carried out in the region to bring about a well coordinated regional maritime community.