China and Seychelles agreement renewal to benefit tourism and culture

“We enjoy the great friendship and the mutual respect that your country has towards China. We are impressed with the beauty of Seychelles, its friendly people, hospitality, and we have learned a lot from your country.” These were the words spoken by China’s Deputy Minister of Culture during a meeting with Seychelles Ministry of Tourism and Culture.

The Seychelles Ministry of Tourism and Culture has renewed the cultural agreement it has with China’s Ministry of Culture. The memorandum of understanding was signed by the Minister for Tourism and Culture, Alain St.Ange, and the Deputy Minister of Culture Ding Wei from China.

Present to witness the signing at Minister St.Ange’s ESPACE Building offices were the Principal Secretary for Culture Benjamine Rose and the Chinese chargé d’affaires in Seychelles Zhang Xiangyang. Mr. Ding and his delegation are on an official visit to Seychelles and arrived in the country on Saturday.

On behalf of the government and the people of Seychelles, Minister St.Ange thanked China for the excellent bond that it has with Seychelles.

“These ties show us that when we put cultural matters in the limelight, we are also putting our people in the forefront,” Minister St.Ange said.

He added that the renewal of this agreement paves the way for greater cooperation between Seychelles and China.

“We appreciate the fact that China, being one of the biggest nations, is today signing a cultural agreement with a small state like Seychelles. Therefore, it is vital for us to say thank you and let you know that we appreciate the friendly ties with China and of the support that we receive from your country,” Minister St.Ange said.

Minister St.Ange also spoke on the Seychelles maritime museum, a project which is in the offing, and has appealed to China to look at this matter favorably.

Speaking to members of the press who were covering the signing ceremony, Minister St.Ange said China will be adding Seychelles on the list of countries which celebrates its New Year.

For the next Seychelles-China Day celebrations, the Chinese delegation that will come to Seychelles will also consists of members of the press from China.

On his part, Mr. Ding thanked Seychelles for the great hospitality and warm welcome received during their stay here.

Mr. Ding described Seychelles as an open-minded country, as it celebrates other festivals of the world and the links it has with other nations.

After the agreement was signed, gifts were exchanged between the two parties.

Seychelles is a founding member of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) . For more information on Seychelles Minister of Tourism and Culture Alain St.Ange, click here.