Highlighting the role of honorary consuls

On Wednesday, the President of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, officially opened the Biennial Conference of Honorary Consuls. The discussions will focus on Seychelles’ recently adopted policies, with consuls receiving briefings from diplomatic officials on various issues facing the island nation.

The conference has gathered 60 of the country’s 85 honorary consuls serving abroad. The event’s primary goal is to emphasize the role of honorary consuls in promoting Seychelles’ sustainable development agenda. A key theme of the conference is maritime security, during which the consuls will participate in field visits and attend briefings on the nation’s challenges regarding illegal fishing.

Additionally, the honorary consuls will have the opportunity to visit their respective adopted constituencies, where they will hold meetings with local members of parliament and constituency administrators. The conference was inaugurated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Sylvestre Radegonde, who addressed the challenges Seychelles has faced over the past two years. These challenges include global and regional issues such as geopolitical tensions, piracy, human trafficking, and drug smuggling.

In his address, Minister Radegonde highlighted that despite these difficulties, the country has managed to preserve its independence and sovereignty as a small nation. He further added: « Our diplomacy remains strong, neutral, and assertive, allowing us to engage freely on the international stage while upholding our core principles ». During the opening ceremony, President Ramkalawan presented five long-serving honorary consuls with awards for their service.