Mauritius mulls air links with Lanka

Trade between Sri Lanka and Mauritius increased by 5.6 percent to US $ 6.93 million last year from the previous year's volume, statistics of the Department of Commerce revealed.

Department of Commerce sources confirmed that the existing low levels of trade are an indication of the untapped potential in bilateral trade.Mauritius, poised to become an ocean economy, is bullish on direct air links with Sri Lanka. Among Sri Lanka’s leading exports to Mauritius are coloured woven cotton fabric, diamonds, food and live animals. Industry and Commerce Minister, Rishad Bathiudeen met Mauritius Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Arvin Boolell on the sidelines of the first IOR-ARC Economic and Business Conference (EBC) in Mauritius recently.

Minister Bathiudeen said, “We have invited Mauritius to take part in the forthcoming Business and Trade Forum and events to be held parallel to CHOGM, while we work on intra-regional trade at IOR-RAC.

The level of bilateral trade between Mauritius and Sri Lanka is low and, therefore, we believe there is huge unrealised trade volumes that can be developed between us. It is time we explore this for our mutual benefit.”

“Expediting the signing of an air services agreement and extending Sri Lankan Airlines’ flights to Mauritius will boost bilateral cooperation between Sri Lanka and Mauritius,” he said.

Minister Boolell said, “We too realise that current bilateral trade levels are low.”