Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, Ambassador Barry Faure, held a bilateral meeting with his South African counterpart, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, H.E. Ronald Lamola, on the margin of the 46th SADC Ordinary Summit in Durban.
The meeting provided an opportunity for the two Ministers to reaffirm the longstanding friendship between Seychelles and South Africa, and to discuss avenues for deepening cooperation between the two countries on a number of bilateral matters.
Minister Faure thanked South Africa for its leadership of SADC and for the hospitality extended to the Seychelles delegation throughout the Summit. Minister Lamola, in turn, expressed appreciation for Seychelles’ consistent support to South African candidatures in multilateral organisations, describing the country as a reliable partner within the region and beyond.
Both Ministers underscored the importance of the bilateral relationship between Seychelles and South Africa, particularly in the economic sector, and welcomed the growing interest of South African investors in Seychelles. They also agreed on the importance of convening the 4th Session of the Seychelles-South Africa Joint Commission for Cooperation, set to take place in 2027.
On matters of diplomatic representation, Minister Lamola confirmed that South Africa’s newly appointed High Commissioner to Seychelles will soon travel to Victoria to present credentials. Minister Faure similarly announced the appointment of Seychelles’ High Commissioner to South Africa.
Paying tribute to outgoing High Commissioner H.E. Hlamalani Nelly Manzini, Minister Faure commended her active tenure, particularly her contribution to advancing the Maritime Corridor Strategy, and expressed hope that she would soon pay her farewell courtesy call.
The meeting closed with both Ministers reaffirming the strength of Seychelles-South Africa relations and their shared commitment to deepening cooperation across all areas of mutual interest.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, Republic of Seychelles.
