Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis began a visit to Mauritius yesterday by leading a high-level U.S. delegation for talks with the Mauritian government under the U.S.-Mauritius Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA). The TIFA establishes a high level forum for advancing a cooperative partnership on trade and investment issues, and this was the fifth TIFA Council meeting with Mauritius. Ambassador Marantis and Mauritian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration, and International Trade Arvin Boolell, opened the meeting with a wide range of government and private sector participants. During the TIFA meeting, the two governments discussed a broad range of issues of importance to the bilateral U.S.-Mauritian trade and investment relationship, including the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha negotiations and trade facilitation, the ongoing U.S.-Mauritius Bilateral Investment Treaty discussions, intellectual property rights, services trade, information communication and technology (ICT) principles, and trade capacity building, among other issues.
Ambassador Marantis and Minister Boolell open the U.S.-Mauritius Trade and Investment Framework Agreement Discussions
U.S. officials from the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) also participated in the meeting. The Mauritian TIFA delegation included government officials from a number of ministries with responsibility for various trade and investment issues on the agenda, as well as others representing industry associations and interests.
As a result of the TIFA discussions, the two governments agreed on a number of key issues, including conclusion of the BIT, negotiation of a joint statement on ICT principles, technical support on IPR, and development of a new AGOA strategy.
Ambassador Marantis and the TIFA delegation were also welcomed at a reception during which they had the opportunity to discuss the U.S.-Mauritius trade and investment relationship with government and U.S. and Mauritian private sector representatives.
On Monday evening, Ambassador Marantis and the U.S. Charge d'Affaires Troy Frittel presented certificates to four Mauritian teachers who completed the e-Teacher Scholarship Program offered by the University of Oregon. The United States and Mauritius hope to step up work on e-education under the TIFA.
