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Seychelles signs trade MoU with Swaziland and Kwazulu Natal |03 August 2015

 

Seychelles has signed a trade MoU (memorandum of understanding) with the Kingdom of Swaziland and the Kwazulu Natal province of South Africa.

The agreement makes provision for the establishment of trade opportunities and commercial exchanges with the two partners, through their respective chambers of commerce and investment boards.

It was signed on the Seychelles’ side by the Minister for Investment, Entrepreneurship Development and Business Innovation Michael Benstrong and the secretary general of the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industry Juliette Sicobo-Azais. The Swazi Minister for Tourism and Environment Affairs Jabulani Mabuza signed for his country while the Kwazulu Natal Province was represented by Michael Mabuyakhulu.

Also present at the signing ceremony at the Seychelles Trading Company’s (STC) conference room on Saturday were the Seychelles’ Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St Ange, Deputer Minister for Tourism and Environment of the Republic of Mozambique Ana Comoane and other high level officials from the three parties as well as representatives from the chamber of commerce of Seychelles and of South Africa.

The signing followed an investment seminar on Friday (see separate story below), involving tourism ministers and other economic actors from the East3ROUTE (E3R), a forum which promotes regional trade and exchanges in the tourism sector. It regroups four countries: Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa and Swaziland.

Prior to the signing ceremony, Minister St Ange had hosted his colleagues from the E3R to a high level meeting in his office at the Espace building.

Mr St Ange, who described the holding of the ministerial meeting in Seychelles as “A dream come true”, reconfirmed that Seychelles will be a strong member of the group and will take part fully in its agenda. He however highlighted that “actions are needed to turn the dreams and ideas into reality”.

Talking about the outcomes of the meeting, Minister St Ange announced that the E3R forum will now include ministers responsible for economic development, in order for investment to be better incorporated in the programme. He added that culture will also be brought in the framework of tourism marketing in order to put people at the centre of development.

“There is no culture without people. The friendly ties are consolidated when the people know each other,” he insisted.

In this vein, each country will as from now nominate a cultural manifestation which will be part of the E3R programme and which will bring artists from the four countries together

As a result of the “need to work as a group”, Mr St Ange stressed that E3R will in the future seek the affiliation of other groupings, such as the Vanilla Islands which will be affiliated through Seychelles as one of its members.

“We are enlarging the family, we are bringing in cousins for the same purpose,” Minister St Ange said, before concluding that the E3R sets the parameters for Africa to work with Africa.

Meanwhile, Seychellois businesses are being invited to take part in the E3R investment seminar which will be held next year in Mozambique.

 

 

 

 

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