Egypt, Seychelles deepen economic, tourism ties, sign visa waiver agreement
Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Badr Abdelatty, met on Saturday with his Seychellois counterpart, Sylvestre Radegonde, in Cairo to explore avenues for deepening bilateral cooperation—particularly in trade, tourism, and development.
Abdelatty underscored the historical relationship between Egypt and Seychelles, reaffirming Cairo's interest in expanding economic engagement, especially through increased Egyptian exports to the island nation. He highlighted the potential for enhanced trade under the COMESA framework, citing Egypt's competitive edge in pharmaceutical manufacturing across Africa.
Both ministers emphasized their commitment to ensuring the visit delivers tangible outcomes. They agreed on the need to boost cooperation in the tourism sector—an economic mainstay for Seychelles. Abdelatty expressed Egypt's readiness to share technical expertise, invest in hotel and resort development, and export hospitality-related products and equipment.
Abdelatty also reiterated Egypt's willingness to provide capacity-building programs through the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development, in support of Seychelles' economic diversification and tourism development efforts.
The talks also addressed regional and international developments. Both sides stressed the strategic importance of securing international shipping routes, particularly given Seychelles' location near the Horn of Africa. They also discussed the ongoing conflict in Gaza, with Abdelatty calling for an immediate ceasefire and expressing support for the Arab-Islamic reconstruction initiative for the Gaza Strip.
Following the meeting, the two ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding on mutual visa exemption for holders of official passports to facilitate smoother bilateral coordination. They also reaffirmed their joint commitment to cooperation within the African Union and on climate change issues—including the push for reforming international financial institutions to secure affordable climate financing for vulnerable African states.
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