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Archive -Seychelles

Reception marks Russia’s National Day |09 June 2018

A special reception was held at the Savoy Resort and Spa on Thursday evening to commemorate the National Day of the Russian Federation, which is celebrated every June 12 since 1992.

Among guests present were Vice-President Vincent Meriton, President of the Court of Appeal Justice Francis Macgregor, Designated Minister Macsuzy Mondon, members of the National Assembly, ministers, secretaries of state, members of the diplomatic corps and Russian nationals living in Seychelles.

During the ceremony, Russian Federation Ambassador to Seychelles Vladimir Belous described the Russian National Day as one which symbolises the birthday of modern Russia and its nation.

He noted Russia's long history of more than a thousand years which has been forged by centuries of social, cultural, political and economic evolution.

But while looking back at Russia's rich history, Ambassador Belous also reflected on the current global climate as the world is facing numerous challenges such as international crime and terrorism and climate change. In this landscape, he continued, countries have to become good neighbours and share in each other's diversity in order to promote unity.

"Recently Russia has been putting emphasis on promoting this idea of solidifying the world community at every level and in various ways through numerous global platforms as well as through hosting many large international events," Ambassador Belous highlighted.

"In just a few days, another huge event regularly manifesting the world's togetherness will kick off in Russia: the FIFA World Cup. This will give us an opportunity to show Russia's compliance with global standards and another chance to demonstrate our hospitality, culture, traditions and cuisine."

He also pointed out that the Russian city of Ekaterinburg is hoping to host the World Expo 2025, which will further demonstrate the high level of engagement of Russia on the international platform.

Ambassador Belous noted the various achievements of the Russian economy for the last 15 years which has allowed it to flourish as the sixth-largest economy in the world with a $4 trillion GDP by purchasing power parity.

As for Russia-Seychelles bilateral relations, Ambassador Belous stated that trade between the two has increased steadily over the recent years and that there are vast opportunities for further expression of these economic ties.

Savoy Resort & Spa and Oceana Fisheries were some of the examples used to showcase Russian investors' engagement in Seychelles.

He concluded by stating that Russia has actively been supporting Seychelles in spheres such as the Blue economy, fight against climate change and ensuring the safety of international seas.

These remarks were followed by those of Vice-President Meriton who started off his speech by speaking fluent Russian.

"Tonight we reflect on the journey and trials of a great nation, tonight we celebrate its domestic achievements and contributions to the world be it in the field of art, architecture or space exploration," VP Meriton stated.

"But most importantly we are gathered here to celebrate the special bonds of friendship, solidarity and cooperation that exist between our two countries," he further added.

VP Meriton said that Seychelles has benefitted immensely over the years from the generosity of the Russian Federation in areas such as education wherein Seychellois students were provided with scholarships to study in Russia.

The scholarships have been provided in areas such as history, literature, dentistry, medicine and international relations.

VP Meriton revealed that Seychelles is expected to benefit further since Russia is this year offering short-term training for local law enforcement officers and long-term scholarships in forensics and psychology.

"These are areas where we need more support, more professionals to combat the multiple forms of criminality that exist today."

The ceremony also included toasts to the President and people of both countries followed by a reception where guests regaled in Russian and Creole cuisine.

 

 

 

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