(Seychelles News Agency) - Japan will have a fully-fledged embassy and a resident ambassador in Victoria, the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kamikawa Yoko, said during bilateral talks with  Seychelles' Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Sylvestre Radegonde.

According to Seychelles' Foreign Affairs Department in a press release on Monday, this is part of the government of Japan's reaffirmation of its commitment to strengthen cooperation with Seychelles by upgrading its embassy in the island nation.  Japan's embassy is currently headed by a charge d'affaire.

The bilateral talks between Radegonde and Kamikawa Yoko took place on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Japan from August 24 to 25.

Discussions centered on shared interests, particularly in maritime security, Blue Economy, fisheries, and connectivity.

Kamikawa highlighted the support provided by Japan in recent years, which included maritime law enforcement facilitated by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) to enhance maritime connectivity in the region.

Radegonde welcomed Japan's commitment to remain a key partner in the various key sectors important to Seychelles and the Indian Ocean Commission.

He also called on the Japanese government to continue to support Seychelles' capacity building through scholarships.

Radegonde emphasised the importance of Japan's support for Seychelles in the areas of climate adaptation and resilience and requested Japan's assistance in advocating for the plight of small island developing states (SIDS).

Since 1993, Japan has organised the TICAD international conference jointly with the United Nations, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, and the African Union Commission. The TICAD9 will be held in August next year.

Meanwhile, as the President of the Council of Ministers of the Indian Ocean Commission,  Radegonde held discussions with the newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Union of Comoros, Mbae Mohamed.

The two ministers reviewed the status of the bilateral relations between the Comoros and Seychelles and agreed to work together to continue to enhance those relations.