Mauritius-Turkey: Discussions on Free Trade Agreement Resume

The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Mauritius and Turkey was the focus of the fifth round of discussions which opened this morning in Port Louis.

The relevance of having a FTA between both countries is guided by the policy response to the trade regime of the European Union (EU). On the one hand, Turkey is bound by the Customs Union Agreement with the EU and has therefore the obligation to align itself progressively to the preferential customs regimes of the EU towards the ACP countries, including Mauritius. On the other hand, Mauritius has initialled an Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the EU.

Both Mauritius and Turkey are pursuing discussions on outstanding provisions including structural adjustment and basic duties. Negotiations are also focusing on rules of origin as well as the market access offer and requests tabled by both countries.

In his statement at the opening ceremony, the Secretary for Foreign Affairs and head of the Mauritian delegation, Ambassador A.P. Neewoor, said that Mauritius and Turkey have much to offer to each other and a FTA will strengthen not only both economies but also bring new opportunities for bilateral cooperation and further consolidate the relations that the two countries share. “We need to work towards a predictable bilateral framework which will enhance synergies between Mauritius and Turkey’s stakeholders to fully tap existing trade potentials as well as explore trade avenues”, he stated.

For his part, the head of the Turkish delegation, Mr. Murat Yapici, Director General, Directorate General of EU affairs, Undersecretariat of the Prime Ministry for Foreign Trade of Turkey, said that the Turkish delegation was impressed by the energy that Mauritius puts into its trade relations and commitments especially under the WTO, as well as by the effort to promote free trade in the African continent. According to Mr. Yapici, although Mauritian exports to Turkey have fluctuated in previous years, operators from Mauritius could have more opportunities to increase their sales to Turkey. The FTA will provide Mauritian companies with the opportunity to enter into Turkish markets and deliver goods for 72 million people, noted Mr. Yapici.

The conclusion of a Turkish-Mauritian FTA would contribute to more balanced trade relations between the parties and serve both sides’ interests to maintain and increasingly improve bilateral trade.