Mauritius | Independence Day

Embassy Team | 18th January 2017

High Commissioner Nunkoo gives his Independence Day address

High Commissioner Nunkoo and his wife Bibi with the team at the Mauritius High Commission

The High Commissioner for Brunei Maj Gen (Rtd) Dato Haji Aminuddin Ihsan

The Ambassador of Kuwait and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Mr Khaled Al Duwaisan and the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia HRH Prince Mohammed Al-Saud

Nukoo and her daughter

Mrs Bibi Nunkoo, Nelly Amayo, High Commissioner Nunkoo and the High Commissioner for Kenya Mr Lazarus Amayo

High Commissioner Nunkoo gives a warm welcome to the High Commissioner for Cyprus Mr Euripides Evriviades

Heads of mission from South Sudan, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Tunisia, Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire

High Commissioner Nunkoo welcomes the High Commissioner for Zambia Mr Muyeba Chikonde

The High Commissioner for Namibia Mr Steve Katjiuanjo and the Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps Mr Alistair Harrison

The High Commissioner for The Seychelles Marie Pierre Lloyd, the High Commissioner for St Kitts and Nevis Mr Kevin Isaac and the High Commissioner for Swaziland Mrs Dumsile Sukati

Acting High Commissioner for Dominica Janet Charles and the High Commissioner for Mozambique Filipe Chidumo

The High Commissioner for Malawi Mr Kena Mphonda, his wife Mary Chokani and the Ambassador of Guinea Mr Paul Zoumanigui

Reinventing paradise

The number of ambassadors from across Africa, the Commonwealth and the Middle East joining the High Commissioner for Mauritius Mr Girish Nunkoo and his wife Bibi for their first Independence Day celebration in London was a sign of the affection felt globally for the stunning multicultural island nation.

Quoting Mark Twain, High Commissioner Nunkoo said “God created Mauritius first, then copied it and named that copy heaven.”

But the High Commissioner also said his slice of paradise was a “work in progress”. Sharing his country’s ‘Vision 2030’ he said Mauritius was aiming to reinvent itself from a small developing island state, vulnerable to external shocks such as climate change, to a well-governed, export-driven, knowledge-based High Income country by 2030 complete with smart cities, education hubs and first-class infrastructure.