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Source: http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/rss

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<rss version="2.0">
<channel>
<title>Seychelles News Agency</title>
<link>http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/</link>
<description>Real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Seychelles news.</description>
<language>en</language>
<copyright>2024 Seychelles News Agency</copyright>
<item>
<title>Seychellois boxer Joshua Cousin wins gold at Mandela African Boxing Cup</title>
<link>http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/20451/Seychellois+boxer+Joshua+Cousin+wins+gold+at+Mandela+African+Boxing+Cup</link>
<guid>20451</guid>
<category>Sport</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 10:52:48 +0200</pubDate>
<enclosure url="http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/media/images/2024-04/photo_verybig_20451.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
<description><![CDATA[Seychellois boxer Joshua Cousin has claimed a gold medal at the first-ever Mandela African Boxing Cup, after beating his opponent in the final on Sunday.
Cousin, who competed in the men's 71-75kg category, went up against Ethiopia's Neka Mitiku in the final and won the bout after the referee stopped the count.
To reach the final, Cousin had to defeat three boxers. In the round of 16 stage, he grabbed victory over Nkosinathi Dvuba of Eswatini and eliminated Jon William in the quarter-final. 
In the semi-final, the Seychellois boxer got a walkover over David Tshama from the Democratic Republic of Congo to make it to the final.
Aside from Cousin, who won gold, Seychelles was represented by three other boxers, with Keddy Agnes winning the bronze medal in his +92kg category, losing in the semi-final to Anthony Bweluzey form the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Arshild David lost in the quarter-final against Alayu Mekonne in the 51-54kg weight class, while Dasheil Fanchette also his quarter-final bout in the 80-86kg category, against Peter Pita also from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The results placed Seychelles 10th on the medal table.
The Democratic Republic of Congo came out first on the medal table with 10 gold medals, two silver and six bronze followed by Mozambique with two gold medals and three silver. Neigbouring island nation in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius came out third with two gold medals and three bronze.
The introduction of the new tournament in memory of the late South African President Nelson Mandela was organised by the International Boxing Association (IBA), the African Boxing Confederation and the South African Boxing Organisation. It took place in Durban, South Africa, from April 15-21.
Monetary rewards will be given to winners and gold medallists will receive $5,000 (SCR68,000), silver $3,000 (SCR 41,000) and $1,500 (SCR20,000) for bronze, courtesy of IBA.
Five of the boxing giants from Africa did not participate in the competition namely Nigeria, Algeria, Morocco, Zambia and Ghana.
Twenty-four countries participated in the tournament with around 101 competitors.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Seychelles' national IP strategy under development, says trade official </title>
<link>http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/20450/Seychelles%27+national+IP+strategy+under+development%2C+says+trade+official</link>
<guid>20450</guid>
<category>General</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 09:22:44 +0200</pubDate>
<enclosure url="http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/media/images/2024-04/photo_verybig_20450.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
<description><![CDATA[A national strategy for intellectual property (IP) is currently being developed for Seychelles and once completed it is expected to guide all application of the law and policies regarding intellectual property going forward, said a top official on Monday.
The principal secretary for trade, Francis Lebon, made the statement at the opening of a three-day workshop to get the feedback of different stakeholders done jointly with the Department of Trade and experts from the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO).
"We want to ensure that Seychelles has an IP strategy in place that is strong and is developed with enough foresight to help the development of our economy. The trade department and the Registrar's Office are working very closely to create this strategy," he said.
Lebon added that apart from the national strategy, the Trade Department along with other stakeholders are also working on reviewing several laws concerning intellectual property.
"Intellectual property is relatively new to Seychelles, there are a lot of frameworks that need to be set in place. It is something that cannot be put to the side. The protection of intellectual property is important for all aspects of economic development. We are ensuring that all bases are covered and are linked to each other properly," said the principal secretary.
The registrar general, Wendy Pierre, said that it is important to address targets that have been set regarding intellectual property not only as a legal tool but as a tool that can be used in different ways.
"The development of a national strategy for the IP, we see it as one of the most important targets we've set that we need to realise. We intend to be in a position to consolidate all efforts and maximise all potentials, which for years have existed without a clear vision, resulting in many lost opportunities," she said.
Pierre said there have been attempts at developing such a strategy but the process was flawed given the absence of key partners.
"We cannot develop a strategy in limbo, the strategy would need to be implemented, it has to become the backbone of the IP sector, guiding the decisions we make, ranging from capacity building, law reviews, regional and international cooperation, trading and commerce," she explained.
The director of intellectual property for ARIPO, David Njuguna, said that this session is meant to create a roadmap for developing a National Intellectual Property Strategy.
"At ARIPO, we are aware that there is a lot of creativity and innovation taking place in our countries, including in academic and research institutions. However, the benefits of creativity and innovation may not be fully realised or adequately rewarded due to a lack of awareness of the crucial role that intellectual property management plays in supporting and promoting creativity and innovation. Therefore, an IP strategy provides a framework for enhancing intellectual property awareness for the nation," he said.
This workshop also coincides with World Intellectual Property Day which falls on Friday, April 26. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Gaza health system 'completely obliterated': UN expert</title>
<link>http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/20449/Gaza+health+system+%27completely+obliterated%27+UN+expert</link>
<guid>20449</guid>
<category>General</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 20:25:13 +0200</pubDate>
<enclosure url="http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/media/images/2024-04/photo_verybig_20449.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
<description><![CDATA[Israel's war in Gaza has from the start been a "war on the right to health" and has "obliterated" the Palestinian territory's health system, a UN expert said on Monday.
Tlaleng Mofokeng, the United Nations special rapporteur on the right to health, accused Israel of treating human rights as an "a la carte menu".
Just days into the war that has been raging in Gaza since Hamas's unprecedented attacks inside Israel on October 7, "the medical infrastructure was irreparably damaged", she told reporters in Geneva.
Amid the unrelenting Israeli bombardment of Gaza, healthcare providers had for months been working under dire conditions with very limited access to medical supplies, she said.
"This has been a war on the right to health from the beginning," said Mofokeng, who is an independent expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council but who does not speak on behalf of the United Nations.
"The health system in Gaza has been completely obliterated and the right to health has been decimated at every level".
There has been growing global opposition to Israel's offensive in Gaza, which has turned vast areas of the densely populated territory into rubble and sparked a dire humanitarian crisis including warnings of famine.
The Israeli offensive began after the October 7 attack, which killed 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 34,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.
- 'Intentionally imposing famine' -
Its hospitals, which are protected under international humanitarian law, have repeatedly come under attack.
Israel has accused Hamas of using them as command centres and to hold hostages abducted on October 7, claims denied by the militants.
On Sunday, Gaza's civil defence said its teams had discovered 50 bodies buried in the courtyard of the Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza's main southern city of Khan Yunis.
And the World Health Organization said earlier this month that Al-Shifa, Gaza's largest hospital, had been reduced to ashes by an Israeli siege, leaving an "empty shell" with many bodies.
"The destruction of healthcare facilities continues to catapult to proportions yet to be fully quantified," said Mofokeng, a medical doctor from South Africa.
The expert said she had received no response from Israel to the concerns she had raised about the situation, and that she had not been able to visit the Palestinian territory, nor Israel.
But she said it was obvious that Israel was "killing and causing irreparable harm against Palestinian civilians with its bombardments".
"They are also knowingly and intentionally imposing famine, prolonged malnutrition and dehydration", the expert added, accusing Israel of "genocide".
The current situation in Gaza, she said, "is completely incompatible with the right to health".
© Agence France-Presse]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Tuna fishing: Seychelles puts forward 3 resolutions for next IOTC meeting </title>
<link>http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/20447/Tuna+fishing+Seychelles+puts+forward++resolutions+for+next+IOTC+meeting</link>
<guid>20447</guid>
<category>Fisheries</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 18:11:00 +0200</pubDate>
<enclosure url="http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/media/images/2024-04/photo_verybig_20447.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
<description><![CDATA[Seychelles' fisheries officials held discussions with high-level government officials of the fisheries sector from Tanzania, Kenya, Zanzibar, Madagascar, Comores and Mauritius in an online meeting to discuss draft proposals for the upcoming Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) meeting. 
The South West Indian Ocean representatives of the sector gathered at L'Escale Resort and Spa on Friday to prepare a common position to present at the next session of IOTC, due to be held next month in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Minister for Fisheries and the Blue Economy, Jean-Francois Ferrari, told the press in an interview that the meeting aimed to "build and implement a common strategy among like-minded coastal states, to counter the risk of disproportionate burden in the conservation and management of the stocks on some states, and to ensure that the tropical tuna stocks of the Indian Ocean recover."
A total of 24 resolutions were tabled during the meeting, of which Seychelles had put forward in three.
"Two are based on information as we have seen in scientific reports that there are countries that are not submitting information or are not submitting all the necessary information," said the principal secretary for fisheries, Roy Clarisse, to the press on the day of the meeting.
An area of concern to the Seychelles' authorities is pull and line fishing.
"A lot of live bait is used in this form of fishing, although the other countries are not providing the information of this type of fishing, and when we are managing a form of fishing, we have to ensure that the ecosystem is also well managed," he said.
He explained that where tuna fishing is concerned in Seychelles, the authorities say they ensure that the by-catch is also well managed - which is why the country's first two proposals target the issue.
Seychelles' third proposition is based on the laws governing by-catch.
"In the IOTC there is a resolution that prevents purse seiners from discarding their by-catches in countries where there is a large volume of human consumption of the products," said Clarisse.
As Seychelles has been advocating for this cause since 2009 until its eventual adoption, Clarisse added that they now wanted to "broaden this proposal as we know that there are other forms of tuna fishing that also take fish fit for human consumption and throw them back at sea".
"What we are asking is that all these vessels that have caught fish fit for human consumption - keeping in mind that protected species are not caught - should be kept on board and eventually help with food security," he expanded.
Fisheries is the second top contributor to the economy of Seychelles and adopting such a stance would not only help the island nation but also help develop additional economic activities in those countries.
Another pertinent resolution the delegations discussed was the introduction of a fish aggregating devices (FADs) closure.
"We have held our own economic analysis to determine how much this would affect Seychelles to have such a closure," he said.
To recall, Seychelles voted against the banning of FADs in the IOTC session last year.
Other topics discussed were the redistribution of yellow-fin tuna fishing quotas.
"There are countries that have objected to the resolution and have not made the necessary contribution to ensure that this form of fishing is rebuilt," said Clarisse.
"We have to ensure that any such resolution brought to the table is discussed in a manner that is equitable, we need to seriously look at the fishing, the various economies to make sure that no one is disfavoured for another,"
"We also have to ensure that Seychelles' interests are put first, as you know our economy is very much dependent on the fisheries sector," he concluded.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Que c'est bon!: "Gout de France" International Festival in Seychelles starts on April 22</title>
<link>http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/20445/Que+c%27est+bon+%22Gout+de+France%22+International+Festival+in+Seychelles+starts+on+April+</link>
<guid>20445</guid>
<category>General</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 16:06:01 +0200</pubDate>
<enclosure url="http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/media/images/2024-04/photo_verybig_20445.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
<description><![CDATA[French wines, cheeses and traditional dishes with all aspects of French cuisine and produce are being given centre stage at the Gout de France (Taste of France) International Festival in Seychelles this year.
French Ambassador to Seychelles Olivia Berkeley-Christmann gave the official go-ahead at the French Residence at La Misère on Monday.
The festival will take place from April 22-30 and patrons at participating establishments will be treated to French delicacies such as cheeses, Ricard liqueur and purely French dishes as part of the event.
Present at the kick-off were representatives from Delplace Restaurant and the Seychelles Tourism Academy (STA) from the main island of Mahe, and the Club Med resort on Sainte Anne Island. They are all taking part in the festival along with Four Seasons Resort, Gou Notik, Hilton Northolme Resort, Story Hotel and La Belle Tortue.
Initiated by the French diplomatic network in the world to promote its cuisine and produce, the competition has been held in Seychelles since 2015, in collaboration with the Department of Tourism.
Pierre Delplace, owner of Delplace restaurant, told reporters that this time, people will "have a glimpse of French culture through a dish, entrée and even a drink. I have given the chef at my restaurant my mother's recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon to give people a taste of how it is done."
Delplace also explained that another aspect of French gastronomy that will also be apparent at his establishment is the tradition of an aperitif.
"When you are invited to eat in France, the first thing you get is an aperitif, so we will have Ricard and two others for patrons to enjoy as part of the festival," he said.
This year, although the countries will be linking French Gastronomy with the Olympic Games to be held in Paris from July to August, the chefs taking part have had a bit more liberty in the dishes they wished to present.
STA instructor Ryan Marie explained that while the establishment is only taking part in the event on Monday, "we have used our traditionally Seychellois ingredients to make typically French dishes."
Among the ingredients transformed into French dishes were vanilla and cinnamon used in pastries.
The Club Med Seychelles representative, Adrien de Robillard, described a buffet of around 25 French cheeses and charcuterie as "being at the forefront at Club Med since we do not really have a set menu."
The establishments that have taken part in the event, will all receive a certificate of participation for promoting French gastronomy at the end of the event. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Finally': relief and optimism in Kyiv after US approves new aid</title>
<link>http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/20444/Finally%27+relief+and+optimism+in+Kyiv+after+US+approves+new+aid</link>
<guid>20444</guid>
<category>General</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 07:55:47 +0200</pubDate>
<enclosure url="http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/media/images/2024-04/photo_verybig_20444.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
<description><![CDATA[Despite gloomy weather, Ukrainians in the capital Kyiv were cheerful and cautiously optimistic on Sunday after their biggest ally Washington approved $61 billion in new war-time aid.
The package, which the US House of Representatives passed Saturday after months of infighting, comes as Ukrainian forces face a critical shortage of munitions on the battlefield and air defences to protect civilians.
"It's finally happened," 50-year-old nurse Oksana told AFP.
"We're really looking forward to it. It will help a lot," she added. "The most important thing is to have something to defend ourselves with. Both civilians and our guys."
Washington is Kyiv's leading financial and military backer, delivering much of the hardware it uses on the battlefield.
The bill passed Saturday would provide Ukraine with nearly $14 billion to train, equip and finance the needs of its army.
But Kyiv would also receive $10 billion in "forgivable loans" for vital economic and budgetary support, including for badly-damaged energy and infrastructure sectors.
"People and architecture are suffering," said 19-year-old barber Dmytro.
But despite the delay, he was optimistic.
"Of course, it's not too late," he said.
"With the amount of weapons we've been given", he added, "We won't give up any more territory and will definitely not go back."
- 'It will save our lives' -
Afer the vote passed, analysts warned it would take time for Ukraine to feel the benefit.
The bill still needs to pass the Senate and be signed off by US President Joe Biden, and only then can the lengthy process of transporting aid to the war-torn country begin.
This "will likely mean that new US assistance will not begin to affect the situation on the front line for several weeks," the Institute for the Study of War said in its daily assessment Saturday.
Highlighting the pressure facing Kyiv's outgunned army, Russia said Sunday it had captured another village near the key battleground town of Chasiv Yar, where it has been concentrating its offensive.
"Help should be provided to Ukraine immediately. Because the guys are suffering at the front line," 61-year-old railway worker Stepan told AFP in Kyiv.
Moscow has made a string of gains on the front in recent months, pressing its advantage as Ukraine lacks the artillery needed to push back invading Russian troops.
"Shells are really needed at the front line," Stepan said. "We've been waiting for this for long, long bloody years."
But he added: "The guys are very happy about it -- those who are fighting."
Kyiv has also urgently asked for air defences, which President Volodymyr Zelensky has said are desperately needed as Moscow ramps up air strikes.
But for now, most were relieved the aid was on its way.
"It will save our lives," Oksana said.
© Agence France-Presse]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Maldives votes in the shadow of India-China rivalry</title>
<link>http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/20443/Maldives+votes+in+the+shadow+of+India-China+rivalry</link>
<guid>20443</guid>
<category>General</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 21 Apr 2024 16:52:25 +0200</pubDate>
<enclosure url="http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/media/images/2024-04/photo_verybig_20443.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
<description><![CDATA[Voting got under way in the Maldives Sunday in a parliamentary election likely to test President Mohamed Muizzu's tilt towards China and away from India, the luxury tourism hotspot's traditional benefactor.
Among the first to vote was Muizzu, 45, who cast his ballot at the Tajuddin school in the capital Male.
Election chief Fuad Thaufeeq urged the 284,663 eligible voters to cast their ballots early. Polling stations across the archipelago will be open for nine and a half hours.
Primarily known as one of the most expensive holiday destinations in South Asia, with pristine white beaches and secluded resorts, the atoll nation has also become a geopolitical hotspot in the Indian Ocean.
Global east-west shipping lanes pass the nation's chain of 1,192 tiny coral islands, which stretch around 800 kilometres (500 miles) across the equator.
Muizzu won last September's presidential poll as a proxy for pro-China ex-president Abdulla Yameen, freed last week after a court set aside his 11-year jail term for corruption.
This month, as campaigning for the parliamentary elections was in full swing, Muizzu awarded high-profile infrastructure contracts to Chinese state-owned companies.
His administration is also in the process of sending home a garrison of 89 Indian troops who operate reconnaissance aircraft gifted by New Delhi to patrol the Maldives' vast maritime borders.
The current parliament, dominated by the pro-India Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) of Muizzu's immediate predecessor Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, has sought to stymie his efforts to realign the archipelago's diplomacy.
"Geopolitics is very much in the background as parties campaign for votes in Sunday's election," a senior aide of Muizzu told AFP, asking not to be named.
"He came to power on a promise to send back Indian troops and he is working on it. The parliament has not been cooperating with him since he came to power."
Since Muizzu came to office, lawmakers have blocked three of his nominees to the cabinet and refused some of his spending proposals.
Splits in all the main political parties, including Muizzu's People's National Congress (PNC), are expected to make it hard for any single party to win an outright majority.
But Muizzu's prospects received a fillip with the release of his mentor Yameen from house arrest on Thursday.
A court in the capital Male ordered a retrial in the graft and money laundering cases that saw Yameen sent to prison after he lost a re-election bid in 2018.
Yameen had also backed closer alignment with Beijing while in power, but his conviction left him unable to contest last year's presidential poll himself.
He instead put forward Muizzu as a proxy, and after leaving the High Court, Yameen vowed to continue the anti-India campaign that helped his ally to victory.
© Agence France-Presse]]></description>
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<item>
<title>Coral reef connectivity: University of Oxford and Seychelles' conservationists publish pioneering study</title>
<link>http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/20408/Coral+reef+connectivity+University+of+Oxford+and+Seychelles%27+conservationists+publish+pioneering+study</link>
<guid>20408</guid>
<category>Research</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 21 Apr 2024 12:16:49 +0200</pubDate>
<enclosure url="http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/media/images/2024-04/photo_verybig_20408.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
<description><![CDATA[Researchers from the University of Oxford in the UK and conservationists from Seychelles have published a pioneering study. For the first time, this study employs both genetics and oceanographic modelling to quantify the intricate network of coral connectivity in regional waters. 
Amid the challenges posed by climate change and limited budgets, small island developing states (SIDS), housing tropical reef systems, are confronted with tough decisions regarding preserving their coral reefs.
According to the Seychelles Island Foundation (SIF), this research reveals a surprising connection among isolated coral reefs across Seychelles, showing that a complex system of ocean currents disperses substantial quantities of larvae among these far-flung islands, effectively functioning as a coral superhighway.
In this context, prioritising management efforts and strategically allocating resources becomes imperative, focusing on productive reefs that serve as significant exporters of larvae to other reef ecosystems.
Dr April Burt, a lead author of the study and SIF's consultant, said, "Coral larvae have been dispersing via ocean currents for millennia, but understanding how allows us to potentially exploit these natural processes to safeguard these larval supplies, which are so vital to the recovery of coral reefs after bleaching events."
By pinpointing major larval sources and delineating larval dispersal patterns, conservation strategies such as marine protected areas and reef restoration initiatives can be prioritised to bolster regional reef resilience.
The project was a collaborative effort between conservation organisations and entities across Seychelles, the government and the University of Oxford, with the financial support of the Blue Grants Fund through the Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust (SeyCCAT).
Marie-May Jeremie, SeyCCAT's chief executive and SIF Trustee, said, "In the face of a changing climate SeyCCAT is pleased to have funded such a project. Researches such as these are important in guiding decisions that will safeguard the integrity of coral reefs within the Seychelles and in the region."
<table style="height: 64px;" width="625">
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<td>Another outcome is a newly developed app that allows stakeholders to visualise larval dispersal simulations. (Dr Noam Vogt-Vincent) Photo License: <a href="http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/buy_prints" target="_blank">All Rights Reserved</a> </td>
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Coral collections from so many far-flung reefs posed an enormous logistical challenge but conservation organisations and practitioners stepped up to facilitate this.
The Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority (SPGA) provided boat and diver support for sites around Praslin and Mahe, Seychelles' two most populated islands.
The Marine Conservation Society Seychelles (MCSS) facilitated dives, while the Island Conservation Society (ICS) provided access and staff who collected coral samples on behalf of the wider team, as did Fregate Island.
SIF made huge in-kind contributions to cover diving extensively at Aldabra and Assumption, and even cruise ships helped out with lifts to the other outer islands; showing what can be achieved with collective effort.
Another outcome is a <a href="https://nvogtvincent.co.uk/coral_app.html">newly developed app</a> that allows stakeholders to visualise larval dispersal simulations with a single click, offering unprecedented access to critical data for informed decision-making.
The chief executive of SIF, Dr Frauke Fleischer-Dogley said, "It is research like this that allows us to realise the importance of places like Aldabra. Although geographically distant from us, the wealth of Aldabra's reefs enriches the reef ecosystems in the whole of Seychelles, and beyond."]]></description>
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<title>Seychelles to receive donation of patrol ship from China </title>
<link>http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/20442/Seychelles+to+receive+donation+of+patrol+ship+from+China</link>
<guid>20442</guid>
<category>General</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 21 Apr 2024 09:10:00 +0200</pubDate>
<enclosure url="http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/media/images/2024-04/photo_verybig_20442.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
<description><![CDATA[Seychelles expects a donation of a new patrol ship from China in October this year, which will help in combatting maritime crimes, according to a top official.
Seychelles' Minister for Internal Affairs, Errol Fonseka, announced during a reception on Friday on board the ETF 18, one of the three boats from the 45th Chinese Naval Escort Taskforce docked in Port Victoria.
Fonseka described this donation from China as a continuation of the excellent Sino-Seychelles relationship.
"Our defence cooperation has always been a key component of our bilateral relations. This donation will add greater efficiency to the Seychelles Coast Guard in combatting and deterring maritime crimes such as piracy, which has seen a worrying resurgence off the coast of Somalia," said the minister.
He said, "The Seychelles government holds in high esteem the invaluable role played by the People's Liberation Army Navy in fortifying maritime security. Through commendable initiatives such as the escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and active engagement in multinational naval drills, the Navy has been pivotal in safeguarding essential maritime corridors."
Fonseka emphasised the relationship between the two countries and described the various collaborations that have taken place.
The Chinese Ambassador to Seychelles, Lin Nan, spoke about the strength of the diplomatic ties between the two countries established over 48 years ago. She added that this relationship has been well maintained over the years "as evidenced by deepening the practical cooperation in various fields including trade, business, Blue Economy, fisheries, climate change, culture, military security."
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<tr>
<td>Participants in the cultural show in a souvenir photo with guests. (Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: <a href="http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/buy_prints#attribution" target="_blank">CC-BY</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody>
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The ambassador said, "In the meantime, we are living in an interdependent world, facing common challenges. In this regard, President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Security Initiative, aiming at addressing both traditional and non-traditional threats effectively. We are ready to explore cooperation with the Seychelles side under the framework of this initiative to jointly uphold international and regional peace and stability, and build a maritime community with a shared future."
She added that this visit is another demonstration of traditional friendship and practical cooperation concerning maritime security and safety between the two countries and that the commanders of the task force had an in-depth and fruitful exchange with Fonseka and the Chief of Defence Forces, Brigadier Michael Rosette.
"The two parties underlined the importance of further deepening cooperation in maritime security, tackling transnational crimes at sea such as the resurgence of piracy, combating drug trafficking and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. I am convinced that we will reap more and more new fruits in the military security and safety in the future," she said.
The formal portion of the reception was followed by a cultural show in which officers from the ship performed various cultural and traditional art forms.
After the four-day visit, the 45th Chinese Naval Escort Task Force is expected to leave Seychelles on April 22. ]]></description>
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