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Forty-nine legal bilateral instruments, four multilateral agreements signed under new government |27 July 2022

Seychelles has signed 49 legal bilateral instruments and four multilateral agreements since the new government came into office and the government remains fully engaged with foreign governments and international organisations, Minister Sylvestre Radegonde informed Assembly members during Question Time yesterday morning.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism also said that additionally negotiations have been completed on 14 other agreements which are awaiting endorsement.

Minister Radegonde gave these details when answering a question by MNA for Plaisance, Richard Labrosse, who wanted details on agreements negotiated and signed since the new government came into office and the different sectors that are expected to benefit from as a result.

“The legal instruments relate to different areas and they have very important objectives which are not only to establish collaboration in different sectors of national importance, but they are also aimed at broadening and consolidating cooperation and exchanges between Seychelles and its foreign partners,” Minister Radegonde pointed out.

He said Seychelles has benefitted and will continue to benefit from the implementation of these legal instruments in the following ways;

- access to scholarships for short and long-term courses and training which are a great help for Seychelles in terms of reducing budgetary constraints to support the country’s capacity building;

- provide the country access to Covid-19 vaccines when it was required thus avoiding expenses for vaccines and allowing for the money to be used instead to support activities related to the tourism sector among efforts to re-launch the economy;

- support different projects in various fields namely maritime security, climate change and other socio-economic related developments;

- ease discussions to launch or boost trade between Seychelles and some of its bilateral partners. This will create the possibility to access certain markets where Seychelles can source different goods at affordable prices.

Minister Radegonde went on to point out that in 2020 Seychelles signed three agreements – two with the Mauritian government in the maritime domain and combating  technological crimes and one with the Japanese government relating to a grant for social and economic development of the country.

“In 2021 thirty (30) legal instruments all together were signed with China, India, France, Japan, Qatar, Mauritius, South Africa, UAE, United States, Zambia ... and they cover various sectors in different areas namely trade, tourism, defence and security including maritime security, visa facilitation, communication, capacity-building among others. The government also concluded agreements that will help Seychelles to easily access Covid-19 vaccines like previously mentioned. For this year the country has already signed 16 legal instruments with Cuba, South Africa, Kenya, UAE and Saud Arabia,” Minister Radegonde detailed.

He further noted that sectors covered under the legal instruments include cooperation in the reduction of risks and disaster, aviation, agriculture, animal husbandry, sports, culture and heritage, peace and security, maritime law, blue economy.

Minister Radegonde reminded Assembly members that 10 agreements were signed during the state visit of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta here last week.

He further went on to remark that the challenge they face is that more often the agreements are left on the shelves to accumulate dust. But he stressed that since taking office he has set up at the level of the department of foreign affairs a mechanism to ensure different ministries, agencies, departments implement the different components of the agreements.

But Minister Radegonde admitted that to some extent they have not succeeded in bringing the concerned parties to fit in the different agreements and to derive the numerous benefits as per the terms of the agreements.

“I have to admit that we have failed on this side and this is something we have to address but I hope the new mechanism we have put in place will address these concerns as we have set up sectorial committees to push each sector concerned,” Minister Radegonde stressed.     

  

Marie-Anne Lepathy    

 

 

 

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