Cabinet approves MoU with Mauritius on rural development

The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mauritius for cooperation in the field of rural development and capacity building.

The MoU will help "establish a framework for cooperation between the two countries in the sphere of rural development and encourage cooperation and capacity building", an official statement said.

Under the agreement, a Joint Committee on Cooperation on Rural Development will be established which will meet alternatively in both countries on mutually agreed dates, it said.

"Both countries have agreed to coordinate and facilitate appropriate technical cooperation, including access to Indian expertise institutions that can assist in fulfilling the objectives of this agreement," it said.

"It would facilitate exchange of relevant information, including scientific and technical information along with policies and support measures adopted to foster rural development, exchange visits, collaboration to strengthen human resource capacity and the transfer of latest technology," it added.

An institutional arrangement for bilateral cooperation between India and Mauritius in the field of rural development and poverty alleviation was under consideration for some time.

Both countries have a large segment of their population living in rural areas and are pre-dominantly dependent on agriculture and its allied activities for their livelihoods.

--IANS

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