The Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Mauritius and the Republic of Seychelles, Mr Oskar Benedikt, participated in the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) on 24 April in Madagascar. The Summit was preceded by a Council of Ministers on 16 April in Seychelles.

While addressing representatives from Comoros, Mauritius, Madagascar, Seychelles and La Réunion (France) during the Council of Ministers the Ambassador stated: 

• “Besides our significant funding for IOC projects, we have been providing since 2022, together with Agence française de développement in a Team Europe approach, an amount of 10 million euros to support the modernisation of the IOC through its accreditation to the EU 9 pillars. I would like to reiterate the strong commitment of the European Union to consolidate and improve our relations for the sustainable and equitable development of the region.”

The IOC Summit, hosted by the President of Madagascar, Mr Andry Rajoelina, was attended by the President of Comoros, Mr Azali Assoumani, the President of Seychelles, Mr Wavel Ramkalawan, the Prime Minister of Mauritius Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam, and the President of France, M. Emmanuel Macron.  The EU was represented by Ambassador Benedikt, who was joined by Ambassador Roland Kobia from the EU Delegation to the Republic of Madagascar and the Union of Comoros.

The main theme of the Summit was food security, and the EU had the opportunity to highlight its support to the IOC member states in this important area. 

The EU and the IOC have developed a close cooperation over the last 40 years. During this period, the EU has been funding projects for the Indian Ocean region to the tune of 300 million euros. Several of these projects have become flagships such as the Regional Tuna Tagging Programme, the MASE programme for promoting maritime security, the SEGA One Health regional network and Plan Régional de Surveillance des Pêches. The EU remains one of the main partners of the Indian Ocean Commission. The EU’s financial and technical support to the IOC 10-year Strategic Development Plan is instrumental in strengthening the institutional capacity of the organisation and sustaining its positive action for the benefit of its Member States and citizens of the region. 

The final declaration of the IOC Heads of State Summit approved on 24 April 2025 acknowledges and thanks the EU for its support to the IOC.