Australian High Commissioner Jenny Dee : “We need business people to better understand the opportunities in each other’s countries”

Australia Day was celebrated on 26th January in Australia and around the world. The day was officially celebrated by the Australian High Commission in Mauritius with a reception where there was the unveiling of an Australian Indigenous art exhibition. News on Sunday talks to the Australian High Commissioner, Jenny Dee, about the diplomatic ties between the two countries, the long-standing relation in areas of investment and tourism, the Australian education and others. 

Australia and Mauritius have established years of diplomatic relations. How would you describe the diplomatic ties between the two countries?
Our diplomatic ties are warm, friendly and growing, underpinned by our shared values and membership of the Commonwealth and closer engagement in regional and multilateral fora like the Indian Ocean Rim Association where we pursue a shared agenda to promote women’s economic empowerment, maritime security and development of the blue economy.  Last year, we also held inaugural bilateral senior officials talks led by our foreign ministries to deepen our exchange on priority issues.
Although formal diplomatic relations between Australia and Mauritius were established in 1970, we have a much longer history of people-to-people links including early prospectors to Victoria’s goldfields and skilled sugar workers, who significantly contributed to Queensland's sugar industry.  

What can you tell us about the economic and business relationship between the two countries? How do you believe can we further consolidate ties?
Our commercial relations are solid - in 2017-2018, a two-way trade between Australia and Mauritius was approximately AUD 400 million - and there are some 100 Australian global businesses currently registered in Mauritius.  However, there is clearly room for growth in both trade and investment, including in terms of Mauritius as a platform for business engagement into Africa.   We need Mauritian and Australian business people to better understand the opportunities in each other’s countries and I hope to see greater two-way exchanges to pursue this agenda. The establishment of the Australian Chamber of Commerce (AustCham) Mauritius in 2018 can play an important role.

Our education and research partnerships have been given a boost over the last year and continue to grow and support Mauritius develop as a regional education hub.  Australia – with its world class education credentials - remains the preferred study destination for Mauritian students (there are some 2,400 Mauritian students currently in Australia).  We are also seeing a growing number of Mauritian students opting to study for an Australian qualification in Mauritius through Australian education providers now established in Mauritius (like our first Australian branch campus) or those working in partnership with Mauritius public and private education providers.  We expect the number of partnerships to increase noting the recent signings of new MoUs between the Ministry of Education and La Trobe University, and Murdoch University and Polytechnics.

Our research partnerships are also growing, particularly in the agriculture and ocean economy sectors, with a strong focus on technology.  We want to continue to encourage Australian and Mauritian researchers and the private sector to work together to find solutions to our common challenges.  Both countries have a strong focus on sustainable economic development, and the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and we will continue to partner in key sectors to pursue these objectives.

Mauritius and Australia also have a long-standing relation in areas of investment and tourism. How can we enhance these relations?
Business needs to drive this agenda.  But we also know that connectivity – including regular air travel - is crucial to the exchange of people and goods.  Tourism numbers have been modestly growing, with some 22,000 Australian visitors to Mauritius last year. We would like to see greater numbers of people moving between our two countries. Mauritius is a beautiful country, with a fascinating cultural heritage and multicultural background.  

Mauritius has a significant Australian alumni community, who also provide important linkages to enhance relations between our two countries. We appreciate the important role many of the alumni play in keeping our countries connected and making a difference to the development of Mauritius across many sectors. The Mauritian Diaspora in Australia could also play a greater role to educate Australians on the wonders and opportunity of this Indian Ocean state.

The ease of doing business and clear regulatory environment – with an emphasis on transparency, good governance and rule of law – remain key to promoting greater investment.  

The High Commission will continue to play a brokering role – building partnerships between government, private sector, and civil society in both our countries.

Australia is well known for being a tertiary study destination for Mauritian students. How does the High Commission plan to further promote the Australian choice?
The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) will be participating in the country’s key educational event in 2019 i.e. the Mauritius International University & Career Expo and actively engages with local education stakeholders in government as well as the private sector, including education agents who are key to promoting Australian tertiary education.

The Australian High Commission has also been involved in the empowerment of women in Mauritius across many levels. Why is it something that you hold at heart? 
Australia has made gender equality and women's empowerment one of the six priority areas in its development cooperation program.

The High Commission is working with the Mauritian Ministry of Gender and local NGOs to address domestic based violence and promote women’s economic empowerment. In 2018, we organised a fundraising dinner to mark White Ribbon Day, working with partners to raise funds for Women’s Shelters Chrysalides and Passerelle.  With the support of the UNDP, the South Australian

Department of Corrections is also working with the Government to develop a domestic violence perpetrator rehabilitation program.  The Parliamentary Gender Caucus has also played an important role to raise the profile and develop baselines across this issue.  Gender is also a priority area for the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) which both Australia and Mauritius committed to improving gender equality and women’s economic development within the region.