(Seychelles News Agency) - Switzerland and Seychelles have close cooperation in the health and environmental sectors, the new Swiss ambassador said Tuesday.

Ambassador Philippe Brandt presented his letter of accreditation to Seychelles President James Michel on Tuesday.

“We have a very close co-operation in environmental issues through the University of Seychelles and Professor Frischmann who is teaching here and has been very active over the last 30 years, I believe, in doing research in regards to the Seychelles’ unique environment,” said Brandt when speaking to the press. 

Brandt said another area of collaboration between Switzerland and Seychelles is in health-related research.

“We also have cooperation in health issues, in the University Hospital of Lausanne and the Seychelles. All activities are in terms of research,” he said.

President Michel and Ambassador Brandt discussing  co-operation in health and environmental research areas (Louis Toussaint, Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY

Relations between the Seychelles islands in the western Indian Ocean and Switzerland are based largely on tourism.  In 2015, a total of 11,572 Swiss citizens visited Seychelles. Switzerland is among the top 10 countries in the world in terms of visitors to the Seychelles, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. 

The island nation, which has a population of 93,000 people, depends heavily on tourism.  

Ambassador Brandt, who is also accredited to the Comoros, will be based in Antananarivo, Madagascar.