H.E Mohamed Afif, the Secretary of State for Cabinet Affairs in the office of the President of Seychelles and Special Envoy of the president of Seychelles paid a courtesy call on President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih this morning at the President’s Office.

The President welcomed Mr Afif to the Maldives and extended his well wishes to the government and the people of Seychelles on behalf of the government and people of the Maldives. The President also expressed his hope that the longstanding cordial relations between our two countries will further enhance in the years ahead.

At the call, Special Envoy Afif extended greetings and well wishes, and a letter from H.E Danny Faure, President of Seychelles, to President Solih.

During the call, Special Envoy Afif and President Solih discussed ways to further enhance the existing bilateral relations between two countries. The President also mentioned that as small developing island states, the Maldives and Seychelles share several common challenges and vulnerabilities. The Special Envoy noted that the new leadership of the Maldives has shown change and noted that Seychelles wishes to strengthen ties between the two countries and explore all areas to collaborate. The Special Envoy also noted that Seychelles has always worked towards a more sustainable and resilient approach to harness ocean resources within the region.

The President expressed his hope for a peaceful, stable and secure Indian Ocean, as we depend on the Indian Ocean for commerce, trade and our livelihood. Moreover, the President emphasised that the Maldives has recently announced its bid to host the Indian Ocean Island Games 2023, and expressed hope for Seychelles' support to hold the event in the Maldives.

Special Envoy Afif was accompanied by Mr Oliver Steed, Founder and Chief Executive of Nekton Oxford Deep Ocean Research Institute and Dr Lucy Woodall, Nekton Principal Scientist at the University of Oxford.