The EU-Seychelles Partnership Dialogue has concluded with a firm commitment to continue collaboration in critical areas for the island nation such as the fight against the climate crisis and biodiversity loss, according to a joint statement from the two parties.

The EU further confirmed an additional grant to be allocated to Seychelles for the extension and modernisation of Port Victoria, a project supported under a Team Europe approach to the amount of €77 million.

The first Partnership Dialogue, as provided for under the Samoa Agreement between the two parties, took place on Thursday in Victoria, Seychelles, co-chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism of Seychelles, Sylvestre Radegonde, and the Ambassador of the European Union to Seychelles,Oskar Benedikt.

This was the first partnership dialogue held under the new Samoa Agreement between the EU and Seychelles. It took place at the Eden Bleu Hotel, with the participation of nine members of the EU, the EU Investment Bank, eight ministers from Seychelles, and representatives from local agencies.

According to Radegonde, who co-chaired the event, this dialogue will shape the partnership between the EU and the Organisation of Africa, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) over the next twenty years.

Minister Radegonde co-chaired the event. (Foreign Affairs Department) Photo License: CC-BY

He added that it is a crucial framework for building a sustainable, peaceful, and inclusive future.

"Seychelles sees the EU as a key partner in promoting sustainable development, regional stability and Blue Economy initiatives within the Indian Ocean Commission. Through increased collaboration on maritime safety, climate resilience and sustainable fisheries, we aim to strengthen regional prosperity while protecting our marine resources," said Radegonde.

Meanwhile, Benedikt said that in an ever-changing world, mutually fruitful cooperation is not an option but that it is a must.

"We have to work together, join efforts and put solidarity at the top of our agenda. As we strive to secure the future of the forthcoming generations, let us work together to give them a healthy, fairer and safer planet where everyone can live in peace, free from any form of violence. We will continue to stand for multilateralism and a rules-based order with the UN Charter and international law at its core," he added.

Benedikt said the EU has an ongoing constructive partnership with Seychelles in economic development, security, climate change and environment as well as governance and human rights.

Benedikt said that in an ever-changing world, mutually fruitful cooperation is not an option but it is a must. (Foreign Affairs Department) Photo License: CC-BY

"In all these areas, our cooperation with various stakeholders in Seychelles is effective and is delivering concrete results to the benefit of populations in Seychelles and beyond. I look forward to scaling up our partnership to address current challenges and prepare for the future ones," he stated.

Security was one of the subjects covered in the dialogue and both sides recalled their steadfast commitment to addressing maritime threats in the region, building on the operations of the two regional centres based in Seychelles and Madagascar and their solid alliances with regional and international organisations.

Both sides also welcomed the signature of the new EU-funded Safe Seas Africa programme in July 2024, to scale up their action for regional maritime security building on the achievements of the Maritime Security Programme (MASE).  

On the subject of the economy, Seychelles and the EU highlighted the importance of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement and the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) in support of their solid trade relations and a dynamic fisheries sector.

On climate and environment, the EU commended Seychelles' vision to develop a circular economy and was ready to assist as part of the new bilateral cooperation programme - ENSEL.

Seychelles called for further efforts to be undertaken at the international level to scale up funding for climate crisis mitigation and that the same level of importance should be placed to halt the loss of biodiversity as it is being placed towards climate action.

Consequently, Seychelles called for a wider commitment of the EU member states to support the implementation of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) and amplify the efforts to accelerate the operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund.

On governance, the EU confirmed that work is ongoing with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to provide Seychelles with the necessary support to implement necessary reforms for the supplementary review scheduled in 2025. Seychelles welcomed the EU's support.

Underlining the importance of gender equality, the EU congratulated Seychelles on the appointment of the first female Commissioner of the Seychelles Prison Service and the island nation's action to promote the rights of LGBTIQ people.