It was a busy first day at State House for the newly sworn-in President of Seychelles, Dr. Patrick Herminie. Despite the public holiday, the President received five courtesy visits from foreign dignitaries.
The day began at 8:45 a.m. with a visit from the Vice-President of India, H.E. Shri Chandrapuram Ponnusami Radhakrishnan. This was followed by a meeting with the Vice Chairman of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), H.E. Mr. Gao Yunlong.
President Herminie then held discussions with the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam. The Mauritian leader described the talks as a positive step toward renewing friendship and strengthening cooperation between the two island nations.
“Mauritius and Seychelles have always shared a strong bond, though at some point that connection may have weakened. We now look forward to strengthening our relations once again. Our discussions also focused on regional maritime security, as both our countries face similar challenges, particularly with the trafficking of drugs entering our territories by sea,” said Prime Minister Ramgoolam
Later in the day, President Herminie met with H.E. Mr. Oskar Benedikt, Ambassador of the European Union to Seychelles. Ambassador Benedikt noted that their discussions focused on reinforcing the partnership between the EU and Seychelles.
The final courtesy visit was from H.E. Mr. Mbae Mohamed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Union of the Comoros and President of the Council of Ministers of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC). He conveyed his congratulations to President Herminie on assuming office and expressed his commitment to continued regional cooperation.