The government reiterated the importance of regional integration of the countries and islands of the Indian Ocean, the Agência de Informação de Moçambique (AIM) reported .
This position was expressed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Verónica Macamo, during an audience granted on Thursday afternoon (31) to the President of the Departmental Council of Mayotte, Mozambican President Ben Issa Ousseni.
In this context, the members of the Monitoring Committee of the INTERREG VI Mozambique Channel Programme, which includes the French Outermost Regions (ORs) – Mayotte and Réunion – Mozambique, Madagascar and the Union of the Comoros, met in Maputo at a meeting chaired by the head of Mozambican diplomacy.
This is an initiative for the 2026-27 biennium, which aims, among other things, to promote economic, environmental and cultural exchange between the region’s island and mainland territories.
INTERREG VI Mozambique Channel is supported by the European Union and aims to promote co-operation between Mayotte, Comoros, Madagascar and Mozambique, with a special focus on environmental protection, sustainable development, training, natural resource management and the economy.
‘Let me reiterate the importance of regional integration, through which resources are pooled for local development, with the aim of stimulating production, trade, research, innovation and the promotion of culture and tourism,’ said Verónica Macamo.
She pointed out that the INTERREG VI Canal de Moçambique 2026-27 programme represents a platform for promoting development initiatives and risk management actions associated with climate change.
For his part, the president of the Mayotte departmental council, Ben Issa Ousseni, said that international co-operation is essential in the face of the current challenges related to climate change.
‘For the sustainable management of maritime resources and regional development, we are counting on the fruitful collaboration of Mozambique and all our partners,’ emphasised Ousseni.
He also expressed his country’s willingness to host Mozambican officials for an exchange of experiences, as well as to take part in the Economic Forum, an event to be held this November in the Comoros Islands.
