On 7 October 2026, at the Hôtel de Région in Saint-Denis, Réunion's Regional President Huguette Bello and Boeny Region Chief (Madagascar) Nasolo Adakalo signed a bilateral cooperation framework agreement. The signing took place in the presence of Madagascar's Minister of the Interior and Decentralisation, Hanitra Velonjara Tiaray Rakotonandrasana. A rare diplomatic moment between two Indian Ocean territories.
Three years of work formalised
The agreement formalises a declaration of intent signed on 20 June 2023. It covers six priority areas: agriculture and food security, education, health, culture and sport, biodiversity, and tourism. The Boeny Region, in north-western Madagascar, holds substantial agricultural potential that the agreement describes as a Malagasy "agricultural treasure." The two parties intend to develop it together through skills transfers and the structuring of agri-food value chains.
A lever for youth and women's employment
Beyond sectoral economic exchanges, the partnership includes a novel social dimension: professional and social inclusion programmes targeting primarily young people and women in the Boeny Region. Staff exchanges between the two territorial governments are also planned to strengthen institutional capacities and share best practices.
A financial framework still to be built
Financially, the framework agreement commits no specific amounts at this stage. However, the parties indicate that multi-year financing could be mobilised through national and European financial instruments — Réunion benefiting from its status as an EU Outermost Region. A technical phase must now translate this framework into action plans and thematic agreements, to be formalised at upcoming bilateral meetings.
Why it matters
For business operators in both territories, this agreement creates a stable institutional framework for joint projects in agri-food, tourism and biodiversity. The geographic proximity — less than 900 km separates Réunion from Boeny — and the complementarity of the two economies make this partnership a potential lever to attract European funding towards north-western Madagascar. Réunion's EU single market membership could also serve as a gateway for Malagasy entrepreneurs seeking to diversify their markets. The challenge now is turning intentions into concrete projects.
Source: CapMad, 7 October 2026.