A delegation of Ambassadors from the European Union (EU), paid a Courtesy Call on the Speaker of the National Assembly of Seychelles, Hon. Roger Mancienne on Tuesday the 05th of October 2021. The Speaker was accompanied by Hon. Waven William, the Chairperson of the International Affairs Committee (IAC), Hon. Regina Esparon, the Chairperson of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) and the Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly, Ms. Alexandria Faure.
The delegation was headed by H.E. Mr Vincent Degert as the Ambassador of the European Union. The Speaker of the Assembly started off the meeting by expressing his appreciation for being able to meet with the delegation to discuss important matters. The Ambassador Degert equally expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to meet with the Speaker and the Members present.
During the meeting, H.E. Mr Degert pointed out that this meeting was a great opportunity to utilise their time here in the Seychelles to build on the existing relationship between Seychelles and the EU. He noted that the EU and Seychelles share similar democratic values and this is one of the reasons why the relationship has been able to only fortify over the years. The Chairperson of the WPC, Hon. Esparon raised a few critical and urgent matters that the Caucus has been advocating strongly for to the delegation such as gender-based violence. Ambassador Degert expressed that the EU is interested in such matters and that it sees the issue of equality for men and women as a pivotal matter for society to focus on. Hon. William as the Chairperson of the IAC also mentioned that he is glad to see the continued corporation between the EU and Seychelles especially in areas related to climate change and biodiversity conservation. Seychelles especially is affected by these aforementioned factors therefore continued negotiations need to be done to find solutions.
H.E. Mr Degert agreed with the Members and he also noted that when it comes to international affairs, there are always new arising matters that require attention, especially in areas such as Maritime Security whereby piracy and drug trafficking are major threats to the region. Over the last few years, the EU as well as Seychelles has also been affected in several ways due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the EU recognises that new approaches need to be taken to make sure that economic recovery is smooth and that action is still taken to address matters related to climate change. Ambassador Degert assured the Chairperson of the IAC that the EU will stay committed to help Seychelles and give its support to ensure that Seychelles reaches its targeted goals in terms of climate change mitigation and adaption. To conclude with the meeting, the Speaker reiterated how the EU is an important partner for Seychelles and as a group of influential countries, they can work together to make real progress and change to help Seychelles reach its desired goals for the betterment of the people. He also thanked all members involved in ensuring that the cooperation stays strong and hopes that all the new Members and partners involved in the collaborative processes will be equally glad to join the team.
The Ambassador of the European Union was accompanied by H.E. Mr. Dominique Mas, Ambassador of France, H.E. Mr. Jacek Bazanski, Ambassador of Poland, H.E. Mr. Peter Maddens, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium, H.E. Ms. Mary O'Neill, Ambassador of Ireland, Mrs. Manuela Riccio, First Counsellor, Deputy Head of Delegation, Head of Political Press and Information Section of the EU, Mr. Rajesh Parboteeah, Project Manager, European Union, Ms. Alexia Schmiliver, Head of Trade Section of the EU, Ms. Ursula Koos, Second Secretary, Embassy of Germany and Ms. Sinead Collins, Second Secretary, Embassy of Ireland.
