EXTRACT FROM THE SPEECH OF H.E MR. DAVID D. REIMER, AMBASSADOR OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO MAURITIUS ON THE UNITED STATES POLICY IN THE INDO-PACIFIC HENNESSY PARK HOTEL, EBENE- 18 JULY 2019

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EXTRACT FROM THE SPEECH OF H.E MR. DAVID D. REIMER,

         AMBASSADOR OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO MAURITIUS ON THE UNITED STATES POLICY IN THE INDO-PACIFIC

HENNESSY PARK HOTEL, EBENE- 18 JULY 2019

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Today I would like to offer some thoughts on America’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, with a particular focus on how it applies in the broader western Indian Ocean region and especially here in Mauritius.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the United States and Mauritius are old friends.  Our diplomatic relations go back 225 years, so our current policies are informed by our rich, lengthy, and friendly historical relationship.

My intention here today is to put this bilateral relationship in a broader context.  For the United States government, that broader context is both our Africa policy and our Indo-Pacific Strategy, the latter of which President Donald Trump announced in 2017. 

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the following in his 2018 speech on our Indo-Pacific Strategy:

“The American people and the whole world have a stake in the Indo-Pacific’s peace and prosperity.  It’s why the Indo-Pacific must be free and open.”

The Indo-Pacific Strategy Report, released this year by our Department of Defense, said the following:

“The Indo-Pacific is the Department of Defense’s priority theater.  The United States is . . . linked to our Indo-Pacific neighbors through unbreakable bonds of shared history, culture, commerce, and values.  We have an enduring commitment to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific in which all nations, large and small, are secure in their sovereignty and able to pursue economic growth consistent with accepted international rules, norms, and principles of fair competition.”

That is the essence of U.S. foreign policy in the vast maritime space spanning the Indian and Pacific oceans.  Our vision is freedom:  a free and open region where all countries and all people can move freely, where commerce is unbound, and where governments and the private sector advance sustainable prosperity.

“Free and open” focuses on three pillars:  security, economics, and democratic governance.  These are the three pillars I will focus on in my remarks.  I will start with security, particularly maritime security, and then move on to discuss economics and democratic governance. 

 MARITIME SECURITY

Here in the vast Indian Ocean, geography naturally puts regional security front and center.  Sitting on the western flank of the Indo-Pacific, our relationship with Mauritius has strategic importance.

For centuries, the Indian Ocean has served as the linkage between east and west.  Today, it remains a vital pathway for trade and commerce, including 25 percent of the world’s fish catch, half of the world’s container traffic and transportation of most of the world’s oil and petroleum products.  Mauritius’s exclusive economic zone, or EEZ, sits in the middle of one of the busiest maritime corridors on earth.  And while that is good for Mauritius, it also comes with threats and challenges like drug and weapons trafficking, piracy, illicit financial flows, and illegal fishing. 

Challenges exist, but we see opportunities, too.  In fact, we see a bright future for a safe, secure and prosperous Mauritius and the whole of the Indo-Pacific.  To get there, our vision is simple:  we seek to secure the maritime space to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific. 

In this regard, our two countries’ interests are closely aligned.  We note, for instance, Mauritius’ participation in the Regional Coordination Operational Centre, or RCOC for short, which is located in Seychelles and serves as a hub for maritime security and coordination, combating drug trafficking and piracy and all the other threats I just mentioned, while also promoting maritime domain awareness. 

The United States is committed to helping improve the maritime domain awareness of countries throughout the region, including Mauritius.  Maritime domain awareness allows governments to provide stewardship over their EEZs, one of their most important national treasures. 

In very practical terms, what does this mean?  Well, for example, so far in 2019 our Embassy has funded and conducted workshops and conferences on maritime security attended by over 40 official participants from Mauritius.  Another 55 from neighboring Seychelles have participated.  Two Mauritians are in the United States as I speak, training on maritime domain awareness; in September five representatives from the Mauritius police will attend training in civil military response to terrorism.    

Another big example will take place next month, when Mauritius hosts the final planning event to prepare for the next CUTLASS EXPRESS military exercise.  This is a huge undertaking:  CUTLASS EXPRESS is an annual maritime security exercise led by the United States military, this one will be the biggest and most complex exercise the United States military has ever led in this region.  It will help governments throughout the region coordinate to address piracy, drug, weapon, and human trafficking, and illegal fishing, among other threats.  I would like to express my gratitude to the government and people of Mauritius for hosting the final planning event. 

Now a word about Diego Garcia.  Our support for UK sovereignty is well known.  This is based on the fact that the joint U.S.-UK base at Diego Garcia is uniquely positioned to play a critical role in maintaining regional and international peace and security.  It helps address the range of security challenges in the Indian Ocean region, including threats such as terrorism and piracy, and allows for a rapid response to natural disasters in the region.

Military units based at Diego Garcia include a critical tracking station for our military satellites.  Diego Garcia hosts a pre-positioning ship squadron that ensures naval readiness in the Indian Ocean.  It includes a station that runs our regional military telecommunications systems as well as an Air Force Space Command unit that looks into deep space.  And it includes units that support U.S. Air Force assets responsible for a span of operations that runs from the Middle East to the Pacific. 

The United States helps ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific by relying on Diego Garcia.  We believe all friendly countries in the region benefit from our presence at the joint U.S. – UK base at Diego Garcia. 

TRADE AND INVESTMENT

Next, let me turn to business – trade and investment, the second pillar of our Indo-Pacific strategy.  The Indo-Pacific is one of the great engines of the global economy and the American people have long played an active role trading and investing in the region.  At the beginning of my remarks, I noted that we are celebrating 225 years of diplomatic relations.  In 1794, Port Louis became one of the first six locations where we sent a Consul.  The reasons were commercial.  Our first Consul here, William McCarty, was a businessman and international trader.  He was sent, among other reasons, to support the U.S. whaling industry, whose ships made frequent calls at Port Louis.

Today, 225 years later, in terms of trade, no country – not even India or China – conducts more two-way trade than the United States in the Indo-Pacific.  As well, the United States is the largest source of foreign direct investment in the Indo-Pacific region.  A number of U.S. companies such as General Electric, Microsoft, Cisco, Chevron, and SpaceX have invested deeply in the region.  Some of these companies do business here in Mauritius.  That is why, as Secretary of State Pompeo said, the United States looks to keep the Indo-Pacific free and open:  we want to keep a good thing going.

We look to the private sector --not governments-- as the key engine for regional growth and prosperity.  We support open business environments that attract foreign investment and reward entrepreneurship and private sector-led growth.  In terms of financing growth, we caution against predatory loans from foreign governments and instead prioritize transparency, anti-corruption, and responsible financing. While the United States and Mauritius have excellent commercial relations, we would like to see more trade and investment in both directions.  The United States emerged as the top destination for Mauritian exports in 2018.  At the same time, the American Chamber of Commerce, also known as AmCham, launched a Mauritius chapter less than a year ago -- so we are moving in the right direction.  AmCham is the world’s largest business network, with chapters throughout the Indo-Pacific that members here in Mauritius can tap into to find business partners in places like Delhi, Singapore, Sydney, and Shanghai, not to mention Nairobi, Johannesburg, Antananarivo, and Kinshasa.  

We would still like to see more U.S. products in Mauritian stores, U.S. cars on Mauritian roads, and U.S. technologies in Mauritian factories, so we have some work to do.  One promising step forward, announced in the Prime Minister’s recent budget speech, is a partnership between the Economic Development Board and Pittsburgh-based Idea Foundry, one of the top technology and innovation consultancies in America.  The Idea Foundry will spend a year developing a plan to bring more cutting-edge technology, like artificial intelligence and robotics, to Mauritius to make the manufacturing sector more competitive on the global market. 

Along the same lines, earlier this week AmCham ran a workshop to promote the use of advanced U.S. agricultural processing technologies here in Mauritius.  Technologies like these can help agricultural companies diversify and develop niche products.  This focus on niche products is exactly what the Mauritius Export Association called for at its annual general meeting earlier this year.  These are great examples of how a strong bilateral relationship helps both of our economies:  we sell U.S. cutting-edge technology, with that technology Mauritius becomes more competitive and improves export capabilities.  That’s our vision in Mauritius, throughout Africa, and throughout the Indo-Pacific.

What makes Mauritius somewhat unique in the Indo-Pacific is its position as a gateway to the African economy.  I expect to see more U.S. companies setting up regional offices here so they can tap into Africa’s surging market.  But to get there, in my opinion, Mauritius needs to increase its visibility in the United States.  Mauritius has all the pieces in place to be an international business hub, and I am confident when I tell U.S. companies that this is the safe, reliable place to start African operations.  Getting that word out back in the United States is the key to success.

Mauritius’ status as an African nation has other benefits, of course.  One is that Mauritius has benefitted from the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA for short, a U.S. law in place for nearly 20 years that gives African manufacturers tariff-free entry into the U.S. economy.  This is a huge advantage for Mauritian companies and thousands of Mauritian jobs in textile manufacturing exist because of the AGOA trade preference.  But AGOA is scheduled to expire in 2025 and Mauritius could conceivably even “graduate” out of AGOA before then, if its income rises above the AGOA ceiling.  That’s why we encourage Mauritian companies to plan for a “post-AGOA era.”  We regularly bring experts from the U.S. Government to Mauritius to help with this process, advising companies and government officials how to improve their processes and the quality of their products.  We will continue to help, but the post-AGOA era is coming soon and there is much work to be done. 

Looking forward, our economic engagement in both Africa and the Indo-Pacific will be driven at an accelerated pace by the BUILD Act, a U.S. law that will revolutionize how the United States engages globally on the digital economy, energy, and infrastructure.  The BUILD Act stands for the Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Development Act of 2018.  The law sets up a new federal agency called the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, or the USDFC, that will replace some of our older development finance institutions and help bring more private capital from the United States to the developing world.  The initiative is new so stay tuned over the coming year for more about how the BUILD Act and USDFC will be rolled out in Africa and the Indo-Pacific. 

One final note on the economic pillar of our Indo-Pacific strategy that is particularly relevant here in Mauritius:  promoting a strong commercial environment by eliminating illicit financial activity.  This is an area where, as a financial hub, Mauritius has a major role to play.  The United States is a leader in the effort to combat international money laundering, including through global bodies such as the Financial Action Task Force and, here in the western Indian Ocean, the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group.

The United States and Mauritius have a good working relationship when it comes to combatting illicit financial activity.  In 2018, for example, law enforcement from both of our countries worked closely together to bring the perpetrators of a global money laundering scheme to justice.  We look to continue that area of strong partnership.

DEMOCRATIC VALUES AND GOVERNANCE

Now I would like to turn to democratic values and governance, the third pillar of our Indo-Pacific strategy.  We support sound governance, just governance and responsive governance.  And on that, Mauritius is in some respects a leader in the region.  For over 50 years since independence, Mauritius has stood tall as a stable democracy where the rule of law prevails and people of all backgrounds and colors live together peaceably.  This is a country where religious diversity is a strength and a point of pride, where a robust legal system protects political dissent and an active press.

These are values that the United States treasures and supports.  I am proud that my embassy closely partners with Mauritian government and civil society on this front.  Earlier this month, the U.S. Embassy sponsored a two-day workshop for around 90 Mauritian youth leaders, age 18-25, on political engagement and voting because we believe that it is key for youth to lend their voices and talents to the democratic process.  It was a great event, which gave Mauritian youth an opportunity to interact with representatives from the government and several political parties.  I should emphasize, though, in the run-up to elections here in Mauritius that the United States does not support any one person, any one political party or any one movement.  We support democracy.   

In addition to democracy promotion, the U.S. Embassy sponsors events and training on journalism, government transparency and accountability, and women’s empowerment, among others.  Expanding our support for democracy and human rights through regional multilateral institutions like the Indian Ocean Rim Association, based here in Mauritius, is another example of our Indo-Pacific Strategy in action. 

Both our countries support ideas like political accountability, transparency, anti-corruption, multi-party democracy, and the promotion of strong democratic institutions.  Some countries in the Indo-Pacific don’t agree.  There are those that dismiss democracy and rule of law as just “western ideas.”  They see free elections and independent judges as barriers to their authoritarian monopoly on power.  The United States sees democracy and rule of law as fundamental human rights, global rights, the rights inherent in our most basic identity as human beings. 

We urge countries in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly one with such an exemplary history of respect for human rights and protection of minorities, to speak out against oppression and to speak out when ethnic and religious minorities are systematically oppressed.  Given our shared values, we would like to see Mauritius become a vocal leader in the region on democracy and human rights – not just in Africa, but the entire Indo-Pacific region.  We would like to see Mauritius to speak up proudly and confidently for human rights on the international stage; to stand up to governments that reject democracy; to governments that suppress religion; to governments that lock up dissidents, lawyers, and political activists.  That is the courage and conviction we seek from all democracies in the Indo-Pacific, including Mauritius.  If Mauritius speaks, people will listen.

That courage of our convictions as democracies is the vision we have, not just in Africa and the Indo-Pacific, but globally.  When Secretary of State Pompeo called for a “free and open” Indo-Pacific, he explained that “free” doesn’t just mean freedom of navigation on the high seas; it also means, and I quote, “good governance and the assurance that citizens can enjoy their fundamental rights and liberties.”

I will end these comments on democracy and human rights by noting the obvious:  these are American values, but they are not only American values.  They are also Mauritian values.  That is why, in my view, it is our shared set of values that forms the bedrock of our strong and enduring bilateral relationship.

That, in a nutshell, is U.S. foreign policy in Mauritius and the region.  To sum up, the United States’ vision is a free and open Indo-Pacific.  The vision is built upon principles that are widely shared throughout the region:  freedom of the seas and skies; sovereign nations free from external coercion; market-based economies; open investment environments; fair and reciprocal trade; democratic governance; and respect for individual rights.  I hope this big-picture description helps put into context the every-day details of the bilateral U.S. - Mauritius relationship.  Let me close with a quote from my boss, Secretary of State Pompeo: 

“We aspire to a regional order [of] independent nations that can defend their people and compete fairly in the international marketplace.  We stand ready to enhance the security of our partners and to assist them in developing their economies and societies in ways that ensure human dignity. . . .  We will help them keep their people free from coercion or great power domination.” 

That is our Indo-Pacific strategy.

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