A Tradition of Partnership: Seychelles Foreign Minister on Cooperation With Russia
© Sputnik . Mikhail KlimentievAmbassador of Seychelles to Russia Louis Sylvestre Radegonde (now Seychelles' foreign minister), left, presents his diplomatic credentials to Russian President Vladimir Putin during a ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on July 3, 2019.
© Sputnik . Mikhail Klimentiev
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On July 27 and 28, African leaders, senior officials, as well as representatives of business, NGOs, and academia, gathered in the Russian "northern capital", St. Petersburg for the second Russia–Africa Summit. The participants discuss ways to strengthen humanitarian and economic cooperation between Russia and the African continent.
Russia and Seychelles have traditionally warm relations, said Seychelles Foreign Minister Sylvestre Radegonde in an exclusive interview with Sputnik Africa. He shed light on various aspects of cooperation between Seychelles and Russia, including trade, education, and the importance of a demilitarized outer space.
Foreign Minister Radegonde acknowledged that the volume of trade between Russia and Seychelles is currently modest, primarily driven by Russian investments in Seychelles' thriving tourism industry.
However, he identified potential for investment in other sectors, such as fisheries, given Seychelles' vast expanse of ocean teeming with marine resources.
The foreign minister highlighted the good relations between the two countries, emphasizing the training programs provided by Russia to Seychellois citizens over the years.
"So Russia, when I would go back to as far as the time of USSR. it's traditionally been a warm relationship over the years. A lot of our people have been trained here. In fact, Russia produced a vice president of Seychelles," Radegonde said, referring to Seychelles Vice President Vincent Meriton (from 2016 to 2020), who holds a master's degree in sociology from Moscow State University in Russia.
Regarding the prospects for collaboration in education, Radegonde emphasized the need for scholarships across various fields of study.
He expressed gratitude for Russia's openness to welcoming Seychellois students and underscored the importance of quality education that equips students to contribute to the development of Seychelles upon their return.
The foreign minister acknowledged the challenge of retaining skilled graduates in their home country and stressed the role of partnerships with friendly countries, including Russia, in ensuring the repatriation of knowledge and expertise.
"So with Russia, as we do with a lot of our friendly partner countries, is that we get them to place after the studies, to send the students back because the whole object of that is for them to contribute," the foreign minister explained.
FM Radegonde also touched on the challenges faced by Seychelles as a small nation and its commitment to global cooperation.
He highlighted the joint statement signed between Seychelles and Russia on not placing weapons in outer space first, expressing hope for a demilitarized space that goes beyond mere declarations.
"We would want the outer space to be a demilitarized zone. But, I mean, beyond the declarations, we have no means of enforcing what we have signed, making sure that it's being adhered to, being followed, everybody is doing it," the Seychellois foreign minister said. "But on the question of principle, we will continue to speak out."