9th Indian Ocean Conference – Balaclava, Mauritius |13 April 2026

Minister Faure delivering his address (Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora)

Minister Barry Faure addresses the forum

With the ninth Indian Ocean Conference being held in an African country for the first time, Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora of Seychelles, Barry Faure, addressed the annual forum, which convened regional leaders, policymakers and experts to deliberate on priority issues related to the governance of the Indian Ocean.

Convened under the theme ‘Collective Stewardship for Indian Ocean Governance’, the conference provided a platform for countries to exchange perspectives on regional challenges and strengthen approaches to ocean governance.

In his address, Minister Faure highlighted the joint management of the Saya de Malha Bank with Mauritius as a pioneering, forward-looking and highly successful example of collaborative ocean governance, demonstrating how shared stewardship can deliver practical and sustainable outcomes for the region.

The minister emphasised that stewardship of the Indian Ocean constitutes a global public good, noting that while it is a shared responsibility in principle, it is not borne equally in practice, particularly for large ocean states such as Seychelles.

He further underlined that collective stewardship must now move from principle to practice, with a focus on investment in maritime infrastructure, securing digital frontiers including critical undersea infrastructure, advancing sustainable blue economy initiatives, and strengthening legal and enforcement frameworks to ensure effective and lasting responses to maritime challenges.

Plenary discussions reflected broad convergence on key priorities, including maritime security, freedom of navigation, and sustainable ocean governance.

Minister Faure was accompanied by Major General Michael Rosette, Chief of Defence Forces of the Republic of Seychelles; Christian Faure, director general of the Regional Affairs Division; and Andry Accouche, first secretary, both representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora.

Meanwhile, on the inaugural day of the conference, Minister Faure availed of the opportunity to meet with his counterparts from India and Bangladesh, to discuss the bilateral relations and the priorities of the conference, and the broader context of the prevailing situation in the region.

With H.E. Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India, they expressed their satisfaction on the current state of their bilateral relations and exchanged views on the instability in the Middle East and how it is impacting the region.

They agreed on the need for neighbours in the region to increase their collaboration in order to build greater resilience to overcome these challenges. Minister Faure took the opportunity to convey the appreciation of President Patrick Herminie, the government and the people of Seychelles for the valuable support that India is providing during these critical times.

Seychelles is looking forward to the attendance of Prime Minister Modi at the 50th Independence anniversary.

In his bilateral meeting with H.E. Dr Khalilur Rahman, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the government of Bangladesh, the two diplomats again exchanged views on the impact of the war in the Middle East on their respective countries.

Both countries, being net-energy importers, expressed deep concern on the disruptions caused to energy supplies and the corresponding increase availability and affordability of energy products.

They discussed measures to curtail energy consumption and promote efficient use of energy. Bangladesh immediately adopted reduction of energy consumption measures, as part of its global austerity package, from the outbreak of the war.

Seychelles will begin implementing its own measures as from today, Monday April 13, 2026, as announced by President Herminie, to reduce energy consumption in view of the uncertainty of when the situation will normalise.

To note, Dr Rahman, who has an impressive record of serving his country at the United Nations (UN), is seeking Seychelles’ support for his candidacy as president of the 81st UN General Assembly, with elections scheduled for June 2026.

Both foreign ministers agreed to establish legal frameworks for further improving their bilateral ties including political consultations, the blue economy, and visa exemption.

On the margins of the ninth Indian Ocean Conference, Minister Faure also held a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Mauritius, Tanzania, Nepal, Singapore, and Australia.

These engagements provided an opportunity to take stock of bilateral relations, explore avenues for enhanced cooperation, and exchange views on the evolving regional and global context, particularly in relation to energy security, economic resilience, and geopolitical developments. They emphasised the importance of adaptive responses, resilience, and continued international cooperation in addressing ongoing uncertainties.

In discussions with the Honourable Dhananjay Ramful, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade of the Republic of Mauritius, Minister Faure expressed his appreciation for the warm hospitality extended by the government and people of Mauritius during the recent state visit of the President Herminie in March 2026.

Both ministers recalled the positive outcomes of the visit, including the signing of seven agreements aimed at strengthening cooperation across key sectors of mutual interest and the joint declaration on the Joint Management Area (JMA) on Saya De Malha. The two ministers reaffirmed the close and longstanding ties between Seychelles and Mauritius, grounded in shared history, geographic proximity, and common priorities as small island developing states.

Discussions focused on further strengthening bilateral ties, including in areas such as maritime governance and broader cooperation in the Indian Ocean region, as well as maintaining close coordination within regional and international fora.

During the meeting with H.E. Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation of the United Republic of Tanzania, discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation and building on existing areas of engagement. Both sides welcomed the recent developments in air connectivity, including establishment of forthcoming direct flights by Air Tanzania, noting that despite delays in its inaugural flight, it is expected to bring positive impacts on trade, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.

The two sides also explored opportunities to further expand trade and economic cooperation, including in key sectors, while recognising the importance of improving logistics and connectivity to ease increased exchange. Discussions further touched on continued collaboration in areas such as capacity building and institutional cooperation.

In exchanges with H.E. Mr Shisir Khanal, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, Minister Faure conveyed his congratulations to his Nepalese counterpart on his recent appointment following the elections in Nepal. The engagement provided an opportunity to reaffirm the cordial nature of bilateral relations and to note that, while engagement remains limited, there is scope to further strengthen cooperation.

Both sides highlighted the importance of labour mobility and the contribution of the Nepali community in Seychelles, as well as the need to advance pending bilateral arrangements to better structure cooperation. The ministers also exchanged views on the global energy situation and its socioeconomic impact.

Minister Faure also met with H.E. Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Social and Family Development of the Republic of Singapore. Discussions reaffirmed the strong foundations of the Seychelles-Singapore partnership, anchored in shared characteristics as small, open, and globally connected states.

The two sides explored opportunities to expand cooperation in areas such as capacity building, digital transformation, and governance. Seychelles expressed interest in learning from Singapore's experience in artificial intelligence and public sector innovation, while both sides recognised opportunities to enhance connectivity, economic cooperation, and structured engagement frameworks.

During the bilateral engagement with H.E. Ms Kate Chamley, High Commissioner of Australia to the Republic of Mauritius and High Commissioner to Seychelles, discussions highlighted opportunities in maritime domain awareness, capacity building, and regional cooperation frameworks, including through regional cooperation frameworks such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). Opportunities to enhance connectivity, tourism flows, and institutional linkages were also explored.

Press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora