(Seychelles News Agency) - The President of Maldives was the guest of honour at a cocktail organised by his Seychellois counterpart at State House on Friday evening.  

Ibrahim Mohamed Solih is in Seychelles on a two-day state visit. During Friday’s reception, President Danny Faure expressed his wish that Solih leaves with fond memories of a sister island nation. 

“Excellency, your presence here today is testimony to the importance our sister Indian Ocean countries place in expanding an already fruitful and cordial friendship within our region,” Faure said while addressing Solih and other guests.

Faure added that since the establishment of diplomatic relations decades ago, the relationship between the two countries has flourished into an excellent partnership, “where together we have continued to progress on a path of common understanding, mutual respect and shared accomplishments.”

“Seychelles and Maldives may be regarded as small nations within the global community, but our dynamism, determination and perseverance have designated us as giants in our efforts to bring to the forefront key deliberations on the negative impacts of climate change, environmental degradation and the vulnerabilities of small island nations like our own. We owe it to the next generation of leaders to be responsible leaders of today,” added President Faure.

The two presidents at the banquet hosted at State House on Friday evening. (State House/Facebook) Photo License: CC-BY

Faure also congratulated Maldives on winning the bid to host the 2023 Indian Ocean Island Games, wishing them the best of success as they unite the people of the Indian Ocean through sports and continue with the legacy of creating lasting friendships and understanding.       

On his part, President Solih thanked Faure for the warm welcome. His remarks touched on the productivity of the visit, mentioning several different areas in which the two governments have agreed to collaborate, including the signing of seven memorandum of understandings (MoU) to ensure more cooperation in sports, the blue economy, fisheries, vocational training for youth, foreign affairs, tourism development, and climate change.

Like Seychelles, Maldives is a small island state. Located in the Arabian Sea in the Indian Ocean, it has a population of about 427,000 people, more than Seychelles' approximately 95,000 people. 

In a meeting between the two presidents on Friday morning, Faure announced that four scholarships will be given to Maldivian students to study in maritime fields at the Seychelles Maritime Academy.

The President of Maldives will leave Seychelles, a group of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean, on Sunday, August 4.