Monaco and the Republic of Mauritius formally established diplomatic relations on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, with a joint communiqué signed by their respective Permanent Representatives to the United Nations in New York, Isabelle Picco for Monaco and Milan J. N. Meetarbhan for Mauritius.

A small island state in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius has made the preservation of its marine environment a central pillar of public policy, pursuing an ambitious blue economy strategy alongside a broader national sustainable development plan. The country’s blue economy already encompasses long-established sectors such as coastal tourism, fishing, seafood processing and port activities, alongside a growing push into newer fields including aquaculture, marine biotechnology and maritime services, all underpinned by a national Oceans Economy Roadmap aimed at sustainably managing the country’s vast maritime territory.

With an Exclusive Economic Zone stretching across more than 2.3 million square kilometres, rich in coral reefs, seagrass meadows and deep-sea ecosystems, Mauritius has positioned itself as a model for sustainable, island-based ocean governance in the Western Indian Ocean, balancing ecological protection with continued economic growth.

That approach, combining economic development with the protection of ocean ecosystems, closely mirrors a path the Principality of Monaco has itself pursued for many years, reflecting a shared philosophy between the two nations even before formal diplomatic ties existed.

Following the signing, the two Permanent Representatives discussed several areas of shared interest, including environmental protection, sustainable tourism and education, and agreed to explore ways to deepen cooperation between the two countries across these sectors going forward. The establishment of formal relations opens the door to closer collaboration between two states that, despite their geographic distance, share a common outlook on marine conservation and sustainable ocean management as central pillars of national policy.