Ambassadors from Mozambique Spain present credentials to Seychelles' President 

Maria dos Santos was accredited on Tuesday. (State House)

(Seychelles News Agency) - Seychelles and Mozambique are to work on collaborating more in the areas of tourism, the fight against piracy, and agriculture, said the newly accredited high commissioner of Mozambique.

Maria dos Santos presented her credentials to President Wavel Ramkalawan at State House on Tuesday morning.

She told reporters that other areas discussed with the President is Mozambique and Seychelles cooperating in environment, climate change and fisheries.

Dos Santos also stressed that culture and art are also very important areas for her country.

"I conveyed the message from the government as far as the support the Seychelles has given us with the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM), that helped us fight terrorism in the Northern Part of Mozambique, in the Cap Delgado," she said.

The SAMIM was a peacekeeping mission in the Cabo Delgado Province in July 2021 to fight terrorism and acts of violent extremism.

Dos Santos also met the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Sylvestre Radegonde, on Monday and the discussion was centred on regional matters, which concern both countries. Among them is the upcoming election for a new chairperson of the African Union Commission and other issues related to the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The Mozambican High Commissioner to Seychelles is based in Pretoria, South Africa.

Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, and Mozambique, established diplomatic relations in 1983.

Also accredited on Tuesday was the new Spanish Ambassador to Seychelles, Guillermo Antonio Lopez Mae.

Guillermo Antonio Lopez Mae is the new ambassador for Spain. (State House) Photo License: CC-BY

The new ambassador told reporters that one of the most important issues discussed was fisheries as Spain has been a partner in the fishery sector to Seychelles, especially in the tuna sector.

"There are many Spanish companies that are based here and they work here not only on the fishing but also on the transformation of the trade of canned and fresh tuna to Europe," he said.

Since Spain comprises two archipelagos - the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands - Mae, said they discussed common problems they faced with Seychelles such as the impact of climate change, water supply, tourism and the repercussions of insularity on the economic field.

The two countries have also recently completed negotiations on a memorandum of understanding for how Spain may support the tourism sector in Seychelles. Tourism is the top contributor to the Seychelles' economy.

"Spain transformed its economy 50 years ago, now we are currently a hub for tourism not only for European tourism but we also became a sort of bridge between Europe and South America and also Africa," said the ambassador.

Other areas the two countries will also be working closely on will be matters concerning the African Union, where Spain is involved in the peace and security field, as well as social aspects, among others.

Seychelles and Spain established diplomatic relations on November 3, 1978, and Mae is the 16th Spanish Ambassador to be accredited to Seychelles.

The ambassador will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.