Vice-President Danny Faure has had wide-ranging talks with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the heir apparent of the State of Qatar, during his first official visit to Doha this week. 

The two leaders have both expressed their desire to take the relations between the two countries to a new level.

“The strong investment ties that already exist as well as the good connectivity between our two countries are the perfect platform for taking our exchanges and cooperation to a whole new level.
  Both states, while small, share an ambition to nurture and expand these mutually beneficial ties,” the vice-president has said.

During their discussions, Vice-President Faure and Sheikh Tamim discussed potential cooperation in the housing sector, as this is one of great importance for the future development of Seychelles.  They also reviewed opportunity for investments in a number of sectors, including potential joint ventures.

The two delegations also exchanged views on how best to combat the threat of piracy which continues to pose a great challenge for the strengthening of trade in the region. The two nations agreed that it is only through more systematic and sustained surveillance of the Indian Ocean, that the security of this shared space will be improved, and they have agreed to support each other’s efforts to this end.

During his visit, Vice-President Faure, has also paid a visit to Education City, the initiative of the State of Qatar to maximise the enabling environment to enhance access to high quality higher education.  The two sides have discussed ways in which Seychelles and Qatar can partner in the education sector.

The vice-president has also met with the Qatar Foundation, which aims to transform Qatar from a ‘Carbon Economy to a knowledge economy’ by ‘unlocking human potential’. 

The ambitions of the Foundation are of great interest in terms of Seychelles’ policies of people centred development, and the delegation has undertaken discussions around potential partnerships, particularly focused in the education sector. 

“As two small states, but with big ambitions, we hope to learn from each other’s experiences to enrich our cooperation and further cement our excellent ties of friendship and cooperation,” the vice-president added.

The delegations also exchanged views on the efforts led by Qatar to try and improve stability of the region, as well as Seychelles’ ongoing contributions in its capacity as President of the Indian Ocean Commission.

The vice-president is accompanied on his visit by Jean-Paul Adam, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Dick Esparon, Seychelles’ ambassador designate to Doha.

Forrás: www.nation.sc