(Seychelles News Agency) - Switzerland is proposing to share its experience in drug addiction programmes with Seychelles while exploring new areas for cooperation, the Swiss ambassador said on Thursday.

Chasper Sarott made the statement to reporters after his first meeting with Seychelles' President Wavel Ramkalawan at State House.

"This was my opportunity to meet President Ramkalawan after not being able to visit Seychelles for over two years due to the pandemic. In the courtesy call we also took the opportunity to review the bilateral relations between the two nations," said Sarott.

Seychelles and Switzerland established diplomatic relations in 1981 and the two countries continue to cooperate in areas such as tourism and education.

"We spoke a bit about vocational training, and also of our experience in dealing with drug addiction, which is an area where we can help Seychelles, through the programmes and expertise we have in this field," added Sarott.

He said another possible area which Switzerland can support Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, is health.

Furthermore, Switzerland is currently one of Seychelles' top tourism markets. The latest figures showed that from January to April 2022, a total of 4,530 visitors to Seychelles came from the European nation, making it the eighth highest tourism market. The top three markets are France, Russia and Germany.

The Swiss Ambassador to Seychelles is based in Antananarivo, Madagascar.