(Seychelles News Agency) - The Seychelles’ capital Victoria will renew an agreement with the city of Meizhou in China to rebuild a relationship which started two decades ago, said a top official. 

The Mayor of Victoria, David Andre, made the statement after meeting with a delegation of 10 from Meizhou on Wednesday. 

Andre said that the twinning agreement between Meizhou and Victoria was signed in 1998 by the first Mayor of Victoria, Florence Benstrong, and after that the relationship has been dormant.  

“Their last visit to Seychelles was in 2005. We want to rebuild and renew this relationship to see what the two cities can offer each other,” said Andre. 

"We are always talking about making Victoria vibrant. So by rebuilding this relationship it is another step to making this happen,” he said. 

The delegation is also here to find out more about the Chinese community in Seychelles, a group of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean. 

"Most of the Chinese community who are in Seychelles are from Meizhou. The twinning agreement actually started off to link the two communities together. So now they have come back to reinforce that connectivity,” said Andre.     

Although the relationship has been dormant Meizhou has provided some financial help to Seychelles in certain areas.