New opportunities to strengthen cooperation in education, sport, tourism and culture were at the centre of discussions as President Dr Patrick Herminie received the Letter of Credence of the newly accredited Ambassador of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, His Excellency (H.E) Mr Miloud Benmakhlouf, at State House on Tuesday morning.
Following the accreditation ceremony in the presence of the Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Barry Faure, President Herminie and Ambassador Benmakhlouf held bilateral talks focused on expanding cooperation across several sectors. The President described Algeria as a valued partner and reflected on Seychelles' commitment to further strengthen the longstanding relationship between the two countries, founded on mutual respect and partnership.
Education featured prominently in the discussions, with President Herminie highlighting opportunities for collaboration in media and journalism training, including the possible establishment of a media school in Seychelles. He noted that greater exchanges of expertise would contribute to strengthening the country's human resource development.
With Seychelles preparing to host the Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG) next year, sport was also identified as a priority area for cooperation. The President proposed closer technical collaboration through exchanges of coaches, training camps and the sharing of expertise to support the development of athletes and sports professionals.
Tourism and culture also formed part of the discussions. Both sides explored opportunities to promote eco tourism, exchange best practices in the tourism sector and strengthen cultural ties through greater people to people exchanges.
President Herminie expressed his confidence that the bilateral relationship could be elevated through renewed institutional cooperation and encouraged both countries to continue identifying practical initiatives that would deliver tangible benefits for their peoples.
Ambassador Benmakhlouf thanked the President for the warm welcome and reaffirmed Algeria's commitment to strengthening its partnership with Seychelles. He expressed particular interest in expanding cooperation in sport through the sharing of Algeria's technical expertise and experience.
The Ambassador also proposed exploring the possibility of signing a Memorandum of Understanding in the field of tourism to establish a structured framework for future cooperation between the two countries.
Resident in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Ambassador Benmakhlouf is also accredited to Mauritius, Comores, and Madagascar as part of his regional diplomatic responsibilities.
As part of his official programme, the Ambassador also paid a courtesy call on Vice President Sebastien Pillay, where discussions focused on advancing bilateral relations and identifying additional areas of mutual cooperation.