Two island states plan tourism exchanges: Seychelles- Cabo Verde bilateral talks

Four agreements were signed between Seychelles and Cabo Verde following discussions between the two delegations headed by President Michel and President Fonseca (Joe Laurence, Seychelles News Agency)

(Seychelles News Agency) - Only hours after the President of Cabo Verde Jorge Carlos Fonseca landed in Seychelles there have been concrete steps to strengthen ties between the two countries.

Seychelles and Cabo Verde have just signed a twinning agreement between the capitals Victoria and Praia, a general cooperation agreement, a bilateral air services agreement as well as a tourism cooperation agreement.

Cabo Verde’s Tourism Minister Humberto Brito who signed the agreement on Tourism together with the Seychelles’ Minister for Foreign Affairs Jean Paul Adam described the Indian Ocean archipelago’s sustainable tourism experiences as an ideal model for other islands states, according to a statement from the Seychelles President’s Office

Cabo Verde experts are already in Seychelles as part of a fact-finding mission with the assistance of the World Bank as the country has been identified as an example of sustainable tourism development.

The agreements were signed following a tête-à-tête between President Fonseca and Seychelles President James Michel at State House in the Capital of Victoria after which they joined their respective delegations for a bilateral meeting.

Michel has described President Fonseca’s visit as a historic milestone adding that it represents a new beginning for what he described as “the unique relationship that Seychelles and Cabo Verde share.”

“I strongly believe that in this year where due focus is being placed on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) by key organizations such as the United Nations, such a visit is opportune and will serve as a strong reminder of the special ties that island nations share and of their importance in the global tapestry of nations,” said Michel during the meeting.

The visit is being viewed by the State House as an opportunity for the two states to ‘showcase to the world what they have been able to achieve despite their small size and being vulnerable to challenges affecting small island developing states.’

The possibility to collaborate on the issue of sustainable exploitation of oceanic resources as part of the blue economy concept was also discussed.

For his part Fonseca said that his visit signals the beginning of close cooperation between two countries which he says share many affinities.

“We are small states, we are Creole peoples, we are close in so many ways and we already have positive cooperation in world affairs, such as the AOSIS (Alliance of Small Island States), and there is potential to increase this further in other areas such as fisheries, tourism, culture as well as exchanges between our business communities,” said Fonseca, according to the press statement.

The need to increase business ties with exchanges of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the two countries, exchanges in the field of tourism and culture promotion, sharing of expertise in the development of the fisheries sector are some of areas of cooperation which the two sides are envisaging in the near future.