Seychelles takes part in 46th Ordinary Session of AU Executive Council |14 February 2025

Minister Radegonde holds bilateral talks with his Egyptian counterpart

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Sylvestre Radegonde, led the Seychelles delegation at the 46th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU) which took place from February  12 to 13 at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

In his intervention on the Permanent Representatives Committee Report, Minister Radegonde expressed Seychelles’ sincere appreciation for the donation of US $200,000 towards the country’s recovery efforts following the disasters of December 2023.

The minister touched on the importance of the blue economy for Seychelles, stating that it is more than a concept – it is a conduit for innovation and diversification, while ensuring the preservation of our rich marine environment.

He also recognised that the continent is a distance from achieving the targets set out in Agenda 2063 and that all parties need to collectively work together to maximise the impact of continental projects.

Minister Radegonde also cast Seychelles’ votes during the election of four Commissioners of the African Union Commission (AUC). Representatives from the Kingdom of Eswatini, the Republic of South Africa, Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the Republic of Ghana were elected.

On the margins of the Executive Council meeting, Minister Radegonde met with Dr Badr Abdelatty, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Expatriate Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

The two ministers discussed the strengthening of bilateral relations in key areas of cooperation, notably tourism, healthcare, investment, and trade.

They agreed to pursue these endeavours through knowledge-sharing practices, capacity building and exchange of experts between the two countries.

Minister Radegonde reiterated Seychelles’ strong interest in concluding the visa waiver agreement for diplomatic and official passport holders.

He also stressed the need to conclude the negotiations for ordinary passport holders to further cement the people-to-people relations between Seychelles and Egypt.

The Egyptian minister also took the opportunity to present, once again, Dr Hanan Morsy, the Egyptian candidate for the position of deputy chairperson of the AUC, for the elections to be held during the Assembly of the Union on February 15, 2025.

Press release from the department of Foreign Affairs