Economic Governance and Management Chapter 4 the sooner the authorities begin to think and plan for it, the better it will be for the country. 629. Another choice that Mauritius may have to face is between Africa and Asia. Mauritius aims to be a bridge between them. Mauritius has close economic, cultural and historical links with Asian countries, particularly India and China, and sees no incompatibility between its openness to Asia and Africa. In fact, while participating actively in the process of regional integration in Africa, Mauritius sees this as a step to better integration with the global economic system. It is in this spirit that Mauritius is a member of the IOC. Mauritius is also an observer in the Association of Portuguese-speaking Countries, is considering becoming a full member of this body, and is thinking about teaching Portuguese in its schools. The authorities do not see that it is necessary, now, for Mauritius to choose between Africa and its partners in the Indian Ocean, or between the various African regional organisations to which it belongs. The reason for this is that the authorities see regional integration as part of a more effective and beneficial integration with the global economy and because of the efforts to rationalise being made by the SADC, COMESA and the East African community. Nevertheless, this problem may manifest itself in the near future. How to reconcile membership in these organisations with its commitment to regional integration in Africa is a subject that the authorities, stakeholders and public may have to begin thinking about seriously. iii. Recommendations 630. The APR Panel recommends that the Mauritian authorities and other stake-holders: • • • • 234 Make more efforts to inform the public about Mauritius’s participation in African efforts at regional integration and about the rationale for, and the actual and potential gains of, this engagement. [MoFARIIT, the JEC, MA-COSS and the media] Endeavour to ensure that, in its economic relations with African countries, economic gains are distributed more or less equally. [MoFARIIT] Strengthen the efforts to promote stronger political, social and cultural ties with Africa by facilitating movement and social and cultural interaction between Mauritius and Africa. [MoFARIIT, MACOSS, the media and the University of Mauritius] Actively support efforts to rationalise by the SADC, COMESA and the East African community. [MoFARIIT] Chapter 5 Corporate Governance 235