At the invitation of the President of the Republic of Seychelles, His Excellency Danny Faure, the President of the Republic of Maldives, His Excellency Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, undertook a State Visit to Seychelles from 2 to 4 August 2019.

This is the first visit of a Head of State of the Maldives to Seychelles. The Visit is a true reflection of the shared commitment of the two countries to take their relations to new heights, as neighbors in the Indian Ocean, sharing similar ethnic, historical, socio-economic and cultural values and bonds.

Discussions between the two countries were held in a warm and cordial atmosphere, with both sides expressing their desire to work together towards elevating their bilateral relations to a more mutually beneficial strategic partnership.

During the visit, the two countries concluded a General Cooperation Agreement providing the setting up of a Joint-Commission. The following MoUs were also signed:

(i) Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Maldives and the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Seychelles

(ii) Memorandum of Understanding for Tourism Development between the Government of the Republic of Maldives and the Government of the Republic of Seychelles

(iii) Memorandum of Understanding between the Republic of Maldives and the Republic of Seychelles for Cooperation in Climate Change

(iv) Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Maldives and the Government of the Republic of Seychelles on Cooperation in the Blue Economy Sector

(v) Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic ofMaldives and the Government of the Republic of Seychelles on Sports Cooperation

(vi) Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Maldives and the Government of the Republic of Seychelles in the Field of Vocational Training and Youth Development

Both leaders noted that people-to-people contact serves a vital role in enhancing the relationship between the two countries, with well-established business interactions already in place between the Maldives and Seychelles.

As world-renowned tourism destinations, both countries agreed to cooperate in the area of tourism, especially in the area of capacity building and human resources development.

Both leaders acknowledged youth development as key to initiating meaningful collaborations, and the dynamic role of cultural exchanges in promoting partnerships and camaraderie between nations. In this regard, Seychelles side conveyed an invitation for Maldives to participate in the upcoming ‘Festival Kreol’ scheduled from 25 to 31 October 2019.

Seychelles congratulated Maldives on winning the bid to host the Indian Ocean Island Games, for the first time in 2023. President Solih conveyed the appreciation of the people of the Maldives to Seychelles for supporting the bid of the Maldives.

As two Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and fellow members of the Alliances of Small Island States (AOSIS), both countries reiterated climate change as one of the key development hurdles facing developing countries and agreed to collaborate more closely to address the adverse impacts of climate change through global mechanisms. They also underscored the importance of achieving meaningful commitments at the upcoming Global Climate Action Summit of the United Nations Secretary-General and the High-Level Review of the Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway scheduled to be held in New York in September 2019.

Recognizing the important role of the surrounding Ocean for their sustainable economic development, both countries agreed to collaborate closely in the areas of Blue Economy and marine conservation and to jointly promote Blue Economy initiatives in the international fora.

Both countries also reaffirmed their firm commitment to the security of the Indian Ocean Region and agreed to collaborate closely to enhance cooperation in the field of maritime security, counter-terrorism and counter-piracy, both bilaterally as well as multilaterally especially within the context of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).

Further, the two leaders also agreed to collaborate closely at the United Nations on issues of mutual interest such as climate change, human rights and the implementation of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. Seychelles expressed its support towards the re-admission of the Maldives to the Commonwealth.

President Solih expressed his appreciation to President Faure, the Government and the people of Seychelles for the warm hospitality extended to him and his Delegation during their stay. President Solih also extended an invitation for President Faure to undertake a State Visit to the Maldives at a mutually convenient time, which was accepted by President Faure.

ENDS