Chinese Association meets Tourism and Culture minister |20 July 2013

The meeting at the minister’s offices at the National Cultural Centre in Victoria was also attended by principal secretaries Benjamine Rose (culture) and Anne Lafortune (tourism).

The discussion between the Chinese Association and Union of Seychelles and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture centered on the reorganisation of the association representing the Chinese community of Seychelles, on the help being received from the Chinese embassy in revamping the Benezet Street Chinese Pagoda and on annually celebrating the Chinese spring festival in Seychelles.

Minister St Ange congratulated the new committee and said his ministry is committed to working with them and the Chinese embassy.
 
It was agreed at the meeting that the first Chinese spring festival Seychelles will be on January 31, 2014 which will also see the laying of the foundation stone for the new Chinese Pagoda on Benezet Street, Victoria.

Minister St Ange said at the end of the meeting that this new partnership with the Seychelles Chinese community brings the department of culture into direct liaison with the five branches of the Seychellois people.

"We have been celebrating the La Francophonie and the Commonwealth. We celebrate FetAfrik and we celebrate Festival Kreol. Recently we agreed with the high commission of India and with the local Indian community to mark an India Day and now with this resolution to cooperate to mark a Chinese day we are touching the fifth and last branch of what makes us the melting pot of cultures – the Seychellois Creole people," Minister St Ange said.

A follow-up meeting is planned with the Chinese ambassador in the near future.