President of the Seychelles

by María Josefina Arce

Wavel Rankalawan, President of the Seychelles, a country with which Cuba maintains cordial relations, described by the authorities of the African nation as an example of South-South cooperation, visited the Island.

Since 1978, when the two countries officially established diplomatic relations, the areas in which they enjoy fruitful cooperation have expanded.

Their long-standing cooperation covers sectors such as health, education, agriculture and the environment.

In the latter, the two countries share risks and challenges in the face of the effects of climate change due to their island status.

It should be recalled that Seychelles is made up of 115 islands, which is why it has expressed interest in the Cuban experience in disaster risk reduction and management. In fact, there is a Memorandum of Understanding on this subject between Havana and Victoria.

Health stands out in bilateral cooperation. Cuban health workers have helped improve the system in this East African country, contributing to disease and pest control.

Over the years, hundreds of young people from the Seychelles have been trained in Cuban universities and other educational centers, and some of them have even held high positions in the government.

The willingness of the two countries to further deepen their cooperation is constant. Thus, last April, an agreement was signed between educational centers that will allow the improvement of artistic training in the African country, and in January of this year, a new agreement was signed in the field of physical culture and sports, an area in which there has been a satisfactory exchange since 2009.

 In fact, Danny Faure, former President of the Seychelles, added his signature to that of other former presidents of Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, Africa and Asia in a letter asking US President Joe Biden to remove the largest of the Antilles from this arbitrary list.

It is in the interest and will of both Cuba and the Seychelles to continue expanding and consolidating bilateral relations, whose authorities highly value Cuba's contribution to the achievements of the African nation, especially in the areas of health and education, for its unconditional solidarity aid.