Seychelles and Malta sign two MoU and commit to further deepen their bilateral cooperation |13 May 2023
Minister Borg during his call on Vice-President Afif. Also present were Ronald Micallef, representative of Malta to the AU, Minister Radegonde and PS Fock-Tave (Photo: Patrick Joubert)
Seychelles and Malta have signed two memoranda of understanding – one for health cooperation and the second one on the establishment of a Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation.
The signing took place yesterday afternoon between Seychelles’ Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Sylvestre Radegonde and his Maltese counterpart, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Dr Ian Borg, who is in Seychelles on a 48-hour visit.
The signing at Maison Quéau de Quinssy was in the presence of two other Seychelles’ ministers, Devika Vidot and Dr Justin Valentin, the Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Vivianne Fock-Tave and other high government officials.
When addressing the guests and the local media, both Minister Radegonde and Minister Borg described the event as a historic and important one for both countries that share so many similarities and have common interests.
Minister Radegonde said given that next year Seychelles and Malta will be commemorating the 35th anniversary since the establishment of diplomatic relations, yesterday’s discussion was an opportunity for the two countries to reaffirm their commitment to further deepen and strengthen the relationship and explore new areas of cooperation.
Minister Radegonde said the two signings will enhance this cooperation, with the MoU for health facilitating and strengthening the bilateral cooperation in the health sector and the MoU on the establishment of a Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation “paving the way for more regular consultations on the state of our cooperation”.
He said their discussions also centered on fisheries, renewable energy, civil aviation, blue economy, the war in Ukraine, EU-related issues and maritime security.
Minister Radegonde said over the years, Seychelles has benefited a lot from Malta, in capacity building, and the country which forms part of EUNAVFOR has contributed towards combating piracy, allowing Seychelles to thrive as a country.
Seychelles and Malta have also discussed tourism, which is an important sector to their economy.
“We have discussed ways on how best the two countries can work together to enhance the visibility of both destinations and maximise the revenue from the very lucrative industry,” he stated.
They also talked about technical exchanges, and training in product development as well as digital marketing, where the two countries have also agreed to share best practices.
Climate change and its impact on small islands developing states (Sids) was also on the agenda, and Minister Radegonde said Seychelles has commended Malta for bringing the issue of sea level rise to the UN Security Council during its Presidency in February 2023. “We are in agreement that the sea level rise is a global threat that must be addressed collectively,” he said.
“We have shared with the minister our priorities for COP28, among which is for the Loss and Damage Fund to be fully operationalised. We are confident that we will continue to get the support of Malta on this,” said Minister Radegonde.
Seychelles also reiterated the need for Malta, as a member of the European Union and the Commonwealth, to support the adoption of a Multidimensional Vulnerability Index, “so that we can get access to concessional financing that we need for adaptation, mitigation and resilience, and to improve our debt servicing by providing debt sustainability,” added the Seychelles’ minister.
For his part, Minister Borg said that during the meeting both Seychelles and Malta have acknowledged their similarities since they were both facing similar challenges in the global context and they had shared interest in the maritime sector, the threats of climate change “that affect coastal states as well as trade, tourism and maritime security”.
He confirmed that Malta will continue to support and advocate for Sids at the highest level of the UN Security Council, the EU and the Commonwealth.
“Indeed, Malta is a forerunner on Law of the Sea and continues to advocate on this subject. During last February, Malta raised the subject of sea level rise and its implication for peace and security at the UNSC,” he stated.
“Today’s signings are an expression of commitment to deepening relations,” said Minister Borg, adding that his government’s ‘Strategy for Africa’ highlights Malta’s wider commitment to Africa, aiming to strengthen its links in partnership with Africa in the spirit of equals.”
Following the signing at Maison Quéau de Quinssy, Minister Borg paid a courtesy call on Vice-President Ahmed Afif at State House.
Seychelles and Malta established diplomatic relations on April 11, 1989. There are presently two Seychellois students studying in Malta, funded by the International Maritime Law Institute through the International Maritime Organisation.
Patsy Canaya
