Vice Prime Minister of Mauritius Showkutally Soodhun visited the Kingdom on Jan. 7-9 at the head of a high level delegation and said his country was eager to consolidate bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia in all sectors. During his official stay in the Kingdom, Soodhun met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir and discussed with him, among other topics, the opening of Mauritius's embassy in Riyadh. Al-Jubeir assured Soodhun of his full support on the matter, according to a press statement issued by the Mauritian delegation following the visit. An appropriate location of the embassy and logistics are being finalized and it is hoped that the project will be completed before the end of 2016, the statement said. The two sides reviewed the present situation on the international front and particularly discussed the issue of international terrorism and the threat that it poses to various states. Soodhun strongly condemned crimes and acts of violence committed in the name of Islam. Both leaders agreed that Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance and that everything should be done to ensure this message is transmitted and understood by all concerned. In this context, Soodhun reiterated the support of the Republic of Mauritius to Saudi Arabia in all initiatives that the Kingdom will take to establish long-term peace and harmony in the world, particularly in the Gulf region. He also stated that all Muslims of the world look toward Saudi Arabia to perform the Haj pilgrimage, which is the fifth pillar of Islam. "The Kingdom has been chosen by Allah the Almighty to be the host of all Muslims of the world and it is my duty to commend the outstanding way in which the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques has been paying personal attention to ensure that everything is done for the comfort of the guests of the Almighty," said the vice prime minister. "It is of utmost importance that in this region and more particularly in the Kingdom, everything is done to ensure that there is peace and that the best conditions prevail to enable all our brothers and sisters coming from all over the world to perform Haj and Umrah pilgrimages, where they can offer their prayers in serenity." The Mauritian delegation also met other high-level Saudi officials and businessmen in Riyadh. The delegation made a presentation of a mega project of property development, which is expected to be implemented shortly in Mauritius. Saudi officials have shown keen interest in the project and have seriously considered major investments in terms of equity and other types of financial support to be finalized after a visit to the Indian Ocean island nation, the press statement said. Besides the mega project, various other potential investment proposals were discussed and it is expected there would be a positive follow-up and major decisions taken in the weeks to come.
