(Seychelles News Agency) - The Seychelles President, Wavel Ramkalawan, met with around twenty members of the Seychellois community living in Ethiopia on the sidelines of the African Union summit for heads of state and government, State House said on Saturday.

Ramkalawan spoke to them about the vision of his government and the newly created diaspora section in the foreign affairs department.

"I am extremely impressed and happy to see so many of our Seychellois professionals working here in Ethiopia and making our country proud in various professional spheres. I strongly believe everyone, be they in Seychelles or abroad, have a contribution to make," he said.

The head of state called on the diaspora in Ethiopia to one day return to their island home and share their "knowledge and expertise for the growth and development" of the country.

Ramkalawan is attending the summit for heads of state and governments of the African Union for the first time since he was elected president in October 2020. On Saturday afternoon, he will deliver his inaugural statement to the assembly and participate in the closed sessions. 

After the AU summit, Ramkalawan will travel to Brest, France from February 9-11 to attend the One Ocean Summit at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. While in Ethiopia, the President of Seychelles, a group of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean, also visited the island nation's embassy.

France, together with the United Nations and the World Bank, is hosting a summit dedicated to the ocean for the first time. The One Ocean Summit aims to propose concrete action to reduce the adverse human impact on the ocean.

Ramkalawan's overseas trip will end in Brussels where he will attend the 6th European Union-African Union summit from February 17-18.