(Seychelles News Agency) - Seychelles’ President Wavel Ramkalawan is currently attending the 8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD8) in Tunisia, taking place from August 27-28, where Japan has pledged a sum of $30 billion dollars over the next three years for African development.

On his second day in Tunis, President Ramkalawan met with the Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa, who is also the special envoy of Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio. Fumio is attending the conference virtually.

President Ramkalawan with Foreign Minister Yoshimasa  (State House) Photo License: CC-BY

According to a statement from State House, Ramkalawan “congratulated Japan on successfully co-hosting TICAD 8. He once again extended condolences to the Government and people of Japan following the assassination of former Prime Minister Abe.”

Meanwhile, Yoshimasa “congratulated President Ramkalawan on a successful democratic transitional process in October 2020”, said the statement.

The meeting centred on ways that Seychelles and Japan can increase collaboration in various sectors such as climate change, the Blue Economy, support for a multidimensional vulnerability index for Small Island Developing States (SIDs) and the possibility for Japanese investments in sectors such as fish processing and waste water treatment plants.

Discussions between the Seychelles and Japanese delegations (State House) Photo License: CC-BY

“Ramkalawan expressed his appreciation  for all the support given to Seychelles by Japan  in areas such as such as maritime security, capacity building, health, fisheries, disaster risk management and for funding through grant assistance, at a cost of 10 million yen (SCR 1.3 Million) the renovation of the ex-maritime school into a school for the deaf which was completed in 2021,” said State House.

Yoshimasa furthermore “expressed his gratitude for support given by Seychelles to Japan’s numerous candidatures in international organisations.”