# Foreign relations of Mauritius

Mauritius has strong and friendly relations with the West, with South Asian countries and with the countries of southern and eastern Africa. It is a member of the World Trade Organization, the Commonwealth of Nations, La Francophonie, the African Union, the Southern Africa Development Community, the Indian Ocean Commission, COMESA, and the recently formed Indian Ocean Rim Association.
Trade, commitment to democracy, and the country's small size are driving forces behind Mauritian foreign policy. The country's political heritage and dependence on Western markets have led to close ties with the European Union and its member states, particularly France, the colonial power until 1810, Mauritius' only immediate neighbour being Réunion, both an overseas department of France and an outermost region of the EU. Mauritius also maintains close ties with the United Kingdom, a former member EU state and the colonial power until 1968.
Considered part of Africa geographically, Mauritius has friendly relations with other African states in the region, particularly South Africa, by far its largest continental trading partner. Mauritian investors are gradually entering African markets, notably Madagascar and Mozambique. Mauritius coordinates much of its foreign policy with the Southern Africa Development Community and the Organisation of African Unity. The country is also a member of the Port Management Association of Eastern and Southern Africa (PMAESA).
Relations with France and India are strong for both historical and commercial reasons. Foreign embassies in Mauritius include Australia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, People's Republic of China, Egypt, France, India, Madagascar, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Bangladesh, and the United States.
Mauritius is also a member of the International Criminal Court with a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the US-military (as covered under Article 98).

## International disputes

Mauritius claims the entire Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean and also claims the whole French-administered Tromelin Island.

## Diplomatic relations

List of countries with which Mauritius maintains diplomatic relations:
Date :
| 1 | France | 29 February 1968 |
| 2 | United Kingdom | 12 March 1968 |
| 3 | United States | 12 March 1968 |
| 4 | India | 12 March 1968 |
| 5 | Pakistan | 12 March 1968 |
| 6 | Russia | 17 March 1968 |
| 7 | Germany | 23 March 1968 |
| 8 | Israel | 23 April 1968 |
| 9 | Canada | 24 April 1968 |
| 10 | New Zealand | 28 April 1968 |
| 11 | Madagascar | 27 August 1968 |
| 12 | Belgium | 1968 |
| 13 | Netherlands | 5 March 1969 |
| 14 | Switzerland | 11 March 1969 |
| 15 | Japan | 22 October 1969 |
| — | Holy See | 9 March 1970 |
| 16 | Egypt | 26 March 1970 |
| 17 | Italy | 8 April 1970 |
| 18 | Syria | 22 May 1970 |
| 19 | Australia | 25 September 1970 |
| 20 | Serbia | 6 October 1970 |
| 21 | South Korea | 3 July 1971 |
| 22 | Iran | 25 September 1971 |
| 23 | China | 15 April 1972 |
| 24 | Bangladesh | 1972 |
| 25 | Norway | 30 January 1973 |
| 26 | Luxembourg | 28 February 1973 |
| 27 | Denmark | 2 March 1973 |
| 28 | North Korea | 16 March 1973 |
| 29 | Guinea | 29 October 1973 |
| 30 | Finland | 31 October 1973 |
| 31 | Sweden | 1973 |
| 32 | Argentina | 8 April 1974 |
| 33 | Jamaica | 20 May 1974 |
| 34 | Romania | 25 June 1974 |
| 35 | Barbados | 14 December 1974 |
| 36 | Zambia | 29 December 1974 |
| 37 | Brazil | 1974 |
| 38 | Bulgaria | 20 June 1975 |
| 39 | United Arab Emirates | 4 January 1976 |
| 40 | Kuwait | 11 January 1976 |
| 41 | Tunisia | 9 February 1976 |
| 42 | Austria | 10 February 1976 |
| 43 | Algeria | 12 February 1976 |
| 44 | Bahrain | 12 February 1976 |
| 45 | Libya | 17 February 1976 |
| 46 | Jordan | February 1976 |
| 47 | Iraq | 22 March 1976 |
| 48 | Oman | 22 March 1976 |
| 49 | Yemen | March 1976 |
| 50 | Morocco | 8 June 1976 |
| 51 | Czech Republic | 10 June 1976 |
| 52 | Nigeria | 16 June 1976 |
| 53 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 19 June 1976 |
| 54 | Uganda | 19 June 1976 |
| 55 | Mexico | 30 July 1976 |
| 56 | Cuba | 18 October 1976 |
| 57 | Turkey | 18 October 1976 |
| 58 | Portugal | 12 December 1976 |
| 59 | Albania | October 1977 |
| — | Sovereign Military Order of Malta | 1977 |
| 60 | Saudi Arabia | 5 August 1978 |
| 61 | Myanmar | 30 December 1978 |
| 62 | Thailand | 22 January 1979 |
| 63 | Poland | 30 April 1979 |
| 64 | Spain | 30 May 1979 |
| 65 | Sudan | 1979 |
| 66 | Maldives | 15 January 1981 |
| 67 | Nepal | 12 February 1981 |
| 68 | Greece | 23 February 1981 |
| 69 | Indonesia | 27 May 1983 |
| 70 | Gabon | August 1983 |
| — | Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic | 1983 |
| 71 | Mozambique | 29 November 1984 |
| 72 | Comoros | 25 February 1985 |
| 73 | Nicaragua | March 1985 |
| 74 | Malaysia | 13 August 1986 |
| 75 | Qatar | 1986 |
| 76 | Seychelles | 17 June 1988 |
| 77 | Chile | 30 September 1988 |
| 78 | Colombia | 30 September 1988 |
| 79 | Singapore | 27 October 1989 |
| 80 | Hungary | 24 April 1990 |
| 81 | Brunei | 2 July 1990 |
| — | State of Palestine | 1990 |
| 82 | Ukraine | 12 October 1992 |
| 83 | Guyana | 1 December 1992 |
| 84 | South Africa | 7 December 1993 |
| 85 | Vietnam | 4 May 1994 |
| 86 | Cambodia | 18 May 1994 |
| 87 | Slovakia | 31 May 1995 |
| 88 | Ethiopia | June 1996 |
| 89 | Azerbaijan | 19 July 1996 |
| 90 | Marshall Islands | 23 October 1996 |
| 91 | Slovenia | 30 May 1997 |
| 92 | Turkmenistan | 2 July 1997 |
| 93 | Namibia | 16 July 1997 |
| 94 | Croatia | 3 September 1997 |
| 95 | Eswatini | 7 October 1997 |
| 96 | Philippines | 23 January 1998 |
| 97 | Uzbekistan | 4 August 1999 |
| 98 | Lithuania | 20 September 1999 |
| 99 | Ireland | August 2000 |
| 100 | Cyprus | 1 February 2001 |
| 101 | North Macedonia | 7 February 2001 |
| 102 | Malawi | 9 February 2001 |
| 103 | Rwanda | 16 March 2001 |
| 104 | Moldova | 25 June 2001 |
| 105 | Vanuatu | 13 August 2001 |
| 106 | El Salvador | 6 September 2001 |
| 107 | Estonia | 24 October 2001 |
| 108 | Botswana | 11 April 2002 |
| 109 | Laos | 23 May 2002 |
| 110 | Zimbabwe | 6 December 2002 |
| 111 | Latvia | 12 February 2003 |
| 112 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 28 February 2003 |
| 113 | Angola | 3 March 2003 |
| 114 | Gambia | 4 March 2003 |
| 115 | Burkina Faso | 14 March 2003 |
| 116 | Timor-Leste | 20 March 2003 |
| 117 | Benin | 24 March 2003 |
| 118 | Dominican Republic | 30 April 2003 |
| 119 | Ecuador | 13 May 2003 |
| 120 | Fiji | 2 September 2003 |
| 121 | Dominica | 23 September 2003 |
| 122 | Belarus | 26 September 2003 |
| 123 | Mali | 1 December 2003 |
| 124 | Iceland | 15 December 2003 |
| 125 | Eritrea | 21 April 2004 |
| 126 | Equatorial Guinea | 26 May 2004 |
| 127 | Lesotho | 20 July 2004 |
| 128 | Venezuela | 2 May 2005 |
| 129 | Malta | 19 May 2005 |
| 130 | Guatemala | 7 September 2006 |
| 131 | Andorra | 21 December 2006 |
| 132 | Tanzania | 22 May 2007 |
| 133 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 30 May 2007 |
| 134 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 18 June 2007 |
| 135 | Trinidad and Tobago | 17 September 2009 |
| 136 | Sri Lanka | 20 July 2010 |
| 137 | Paraguay | 28 September 2010 |
| 138 | Mauritania | 1 December 2010 |
| 139 | Georgia | 3 March 2011 |
| 140 | Republic of the Congo | 6 July 2011 |
| 141 | Honduras | 8 September 2011 |
| 142 | Bhutan | 2 July 2012 |
| 143 | Montenegro | 26 September 2012 |
| 144 | Armenia | 28 June 2013 |
| 145 | Mongolia | 3 July 2014 |
| 146 | Kazakhstan | 15 October 2014 |
| 147 | Saint Lucia | 7 November 2014 |
| 148 | Ivory Coast | 4 March 2016 |
| 149 | Kyrgyzstan | 16 June 2016 |
| 150 | Solomon Islands | 1 July 2016 |
| 151 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 25 November 2016 |
| 152 | Djibouti | 12 December 2016 |
| 153 | Bahamas | 18 January 2017 |
| 154 | Togo | 22 February 2017 |
| 155 | Central African Republic | 24 March 2017 |
| 156 | Tajikistan | 10 May 2017 |
| 157 | Liechtenstein | 12 May 2017 |
| 158 | Federated States of Micronesia | 10 October 2017 |
| 159 | Haiti | 13 February 2018 |
| 160 | Palau | 15 March 2018 |
| 161 | Niger | 26 March 2018 |
| 162 | Belize | 4 April 2018 |
| 163 | San Marino | 20 April 2018 |
| 164 | Uruguay | 15 May 2019 |
| 165 | Suriname | 21 March 2022 |
| 166 | Cape Verde | Unknown |
| 167 | Ghana | Unknown |
| 168 | Kenya | Unknown |
| 169 | Senegal | Unknown |

## Bilateral relations

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Australia | 25 September 1970 | Australia has a high commission in Port Louis. Mauritius has a high commission in Canberra. |
| Bangladesh | 1972 | See Bangladesh–Mauritius relations Bangladesh and Mauritius share a common heritage in culture and politics. Diplomatic relations were established in 1972, soon after the achievement of Bangladeshi independence. Both nations have rapidly growing trade ties and increasing investment and financial linkages. Bangladesh has a High Commission in Port Louis. The two countries are common members of the Indian Ocean Rim Association and the Commonwealth of Nations. Bangladesh has a high commission in Port Louis. Mauritius is accredited to Bangladesh from its high commission in New Delhi, India. |
| Brazil | 1975 | Brazil is accredited to Mauritius from its embassy in Pretoria, South Africa. Mauritius is accredited to Brazil from its embassy Washington, D.C., United States. |
| Canada | 1967 | Canada and Mauritius established diplomatic relations in 1967. Both countries are members of the Commonwealth of Nations and La Francophonie. Canada is accredited to Mauritius from its high commission in Pretoria, South Africa and maintains an honorary consulate in Port Louis. Mauritius is accredited to Canada from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States. |
| China | 15 April 1972 | See China–Mauritius relations Under the President of the People's Republic of China Hu Jintao in 2010, an investment package of $750m was allocated to Mauritius to develop the Jinfei Special Economic Zone which consists of 211 hectares (521 acres) of land. Buildings of infrastructure and services primarily serving interests of Chinese companies operating the African region but would also eventually open up to foreign parties. The proposed investment package also includes development of advance logistic operations in Mauritius, construction of a university and an oceanographic research centre. This investment package is Mauritius' largest single foreign direct investment ever. China has an embassy in Port Louis. Mauritius has an embassy in Beijing. |
| Cyprus | 1 February 2001 | Both countries are members of the Commonwealth of Nations List of bilateral agreements. Cyprus is accredited to Mauritius from its High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa. Mauritius is accredited to Cyprus from its embassy in Brussels, Belgium. |
| Ethiopia | | Ethiopia is accredited to Mauritius from its embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe. Mauritius has an embassy in Addis Ababa. |
| France | 12 March 1968 | See France–Mauritius relations France has remained one of its biggest trading partners; in addition, the two countries share close cultural ties in language, media and literature. France has an embassy in Port Louis. Mauritius has an embassy in Paris. Both nations are members of La Francophonie. |
| Germany | 23 March 1968 | Germany is accredited to Mauritius from its embassy in Antananarivo, Madagascar. Mauritius has an embassy in Berlin. |
| Greece | 23 February 1981 | Greece is accredited to Mauritius from its embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Mauritius is accredited to Greece from its embassy in Brussels, Belgium. |
| Guyana | 1 December 1992 | Mauritius is accredited to Guyana from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States. Both countries established diplomatic relations on December 1, 1992. Both countries are full members of the Commonwealth of Nations. |
| India | 12 March 1968 | See Mauritius–India relations India and Mauritius established diplomatic relations in 1948. India has remained one of its biggest trading partners; in addition India has deep social and historical links with a large portion of the population of Mauritius, India is the country's second largest source of foreign assistance. India has a High Commission in Port Louis Mauritius has a High Commission in New Delhi. and a consulate in Mumbai. |
| Israel | | Both countries have signed many bilateral agreements. |
| Kenya | | See Kenya–Mauritius relations Kenya is accredited to Mauritius from its high commission in Pretoria, South Africa. Mauritius is accredited to Kenya from its embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. |
| Madagascar | 27 August 1968 | See Madagascar–Mauritius relations Madagascar has an embassy in Port Louis. Mauritius has an embassy in Antananarivo. |
| Malaysia | 13 August 1986 | See Malaysia–Mauritius relations Both countries share strong common ground when it comes to culture. Both were governed by both Dutch and British rulers and gained their independence in the second half of the twentieth century. Both have sizeable representations of Indian and Chinese ethnic groups. Of the 30,000 people of Chinese ancestry residing in Mauritius, the vast majority come from the Hakka and Cantonese provinces, both of which are well present among Malaysia's population of Chinese ancestry. In both countries, Islam, Hinduism and Christianity are represented by important communities. Thus, Malaysia's population consists of 60.4% Muslims, 6.4% of Hindus and 9.1% of Christians; the respective figures for Mauritius are 16.6%, 52% and 30%. Mauritius has established a High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia is not represented by a High Commission in Mauritius, the closest delegates being posted to Zimbabwe. A Double Taxation Avoidance agreement exists between the two countries. Malaysian nationals do not require a visa to enter Mauritius, and Mauritian passport holders do not require a visa to enter Malaysia for tourism. In recent years, the spectacular development experienced by Malaysia has seen a steady increase in the number of Mauritian visitors to the country. Official figures reveal that 2,320 Mauritian residents disembarked in Malaysia in 2010, a 27.8% increase on the previous year. While this is four times less than the number of Mauritians travelling to Singapore, the trend remains highly positive. In the other direction, 1,438 Malaysian tourists visited Mauritius in 2010, which represents a 23.5% rise on 2009 figures. Most of these tourists arrived during the months of May (143 visitors), June (118), September (188), November (179) and December (172). Another recent trend has been that of Mauritian youngsters going to Malaysia for higher studies, encouraged by the affordable fees and quality of life. Malaysia is accredited to Mauritius from its embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe. Mauritius has a high commission in Kuala Lumpur. |
| Mexico | 30 July 1976 | Mauritius is accredited to Mexico from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States. Mexico is accredited to Mauritius from its embassy in Pretoria, South Africa and maintains an honorary consulate in Port Louis. |
| Pakistan | 1969 | See Mauritius–Pakistan relations Relations between Pakistan and Mauritius were first established in 1969. On November 30, 2007, the two countries signed a bilateral Preferential Trade Agreement. Mauritius has a High Commission in Islamabad. Pakistan has a High Commission in Port Louis. |
| Romania | 25 June 1974 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on July 30, 1976. |
| Russia | 17 March 1968 | See Mauritius–Russia relations The Soviet Union and Mauritius established diplomatic relations on March 17, 1968. The Russian Federation has an embassy in Floreal, Mauritius, and Mauritius has an embassy in Moscow, which was opened in July 2003. Mauritius has an embassy in Moscow. Russia has an embassy in Port Louis. |
| Seychelles | 17 June 1988 | Mauritius has an honorary consulate in Victoria. Seychelles has an honorary consulate in Port Louis. |
| South Africa | 6 December 1993 | See Mauritius–South Africa relations Relations between South Africa and Mauritius were established in 1992 with the establishing of Representative Offices in both countries. Full diplomatic relations were established in 1994. Upon South Africa's return to the Commonwealth, relations have been conducted at the level of High Commission. There is no visa requirements for South Africans visiting Mauritius. Mauritius has a high commission in Pretoria. South Africa has a high commission Port Louis. |
| South Korea | 3 July 1971 | Mauritius and the Republic of Korea established Diplomatic Relations on July 3, 1971. Mauritius is accredited to South Korea from its embassy in Beijing, China. South Korea is accredited to Mauritius from its embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. |
| Spain | 30 May 1979 | Mauritius is accredited to Spain from its embassy in Paris, France. Spain is accredited to Mauritius from its embassy in Pretoria, South Africa. |
| Switzerland | | Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1968. Both countries are full members of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie. Mauritius has an embassy in Geneva. Switzerland is accredited to Mauritius from its embassy in Pretoria, South Africa. |
| Turkey | 18 October 1976 | See Mauritius–Turkey relations Embassy of Mauritius in Berlin is accredited to Turkey. Turkish Embassy in Antananarivo is accredited to Mauritius. Trade volume between the two countries was 76.5 million USD in 2019. There are direct flights from Istanbul to Mauritius since 15 December 2015. |
| United Kingdom | 12 March 1968 | Mauritius has a high commission in London. United Kingdom has a high commission in Port Louis. |
| United States | 12 March 1968 | See Mauritius–United States relations George W. Bush and Mauritian Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth. Oval Office, June 26, 2003. Official U.S. representation in Mauritius dates from the end of the 18th century. An American consulate was established in 1794 and was closed in 1911. It was reopened in 1967 and elevated to embassy status upon Mauritius' independence in 1968. Since 1970, the mission has been directed by a resident U.S. ambassador. In 2002, Mauritius recalled its ambassador to the United Nations for not accurately conveying his government's pro-American stance in the Security Council debate. Mauritius has an embassy in Washington, D.C. United States has an embassy in Port Louis. |
| Vietnam | 4 May 1994 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on May 4, 1994. Both countries are members of La Francophonie. Mauritius is accredited to Vietnam from its high commission in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vietnam is accredited to Mauritius from its embassy in Maputo, Mozambique. |

## International organisations

Mauritius has been a member state of the United Nations and the Commonwealth of Nations since independence in 1968.
It is a member of the World Trade Organization, La Francophonie, Organisation of African Unity, the Southern Africa Development Community, the Indian Ocean Commission, COMESA, and the recently formed Indian Ocean Rim Association.