While the newly appointed High Commissioner of Canada focuses on two-way trade and investment, the newly appointed Philippine ambassador to Seychelles wants to strengthen people-to-people ties between the two nations.
On Tuesday at State House, after presenting their credentials to Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan, Marie Tang, the ambassador of the Philippines, and Kyle Nunas, the high commissioner of Canada, addressed the media about their areas of focus and discussions.
Tang stated, "We hope to pick up where we left off during the pandemic," in a press conference. Additionally, we want to strengthen ties in all spheres, including those involving commerce, the environment, and multilateral issues like climate change.
The standard of consular services is another factor. As you know, we have about 400 Filipinos in Seychelles who positively contribute to the development of Seychelles. She explained that she would restart some agreements on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Because mobility was disrupted during the pandemic, certain agreements were put on hold, including a labor agreement; we are also working on a visa-free facility.
She added that they had recently given Seychelles a cultural agreement that would serve as an institutional framework for collaboration on the cultural and artistic scenes.
This includes an exchange of ideas and visits to the museum. Canada seeks two-way, more significant trade and investment. Nunas, the Canadian High Commissioner, said he would like to promote two-way trade and investment during his term in office.
Nunas stated, "The President and I discussed that the commercial relationship is minimal, and we need to increase it. My trade section is in the country exploring opportunities with government contacts and the private sector to see how we can strengthen our commercial relationship.
Another area in which the Canadian High Commissioner hopes to make progress is maritime security. He revealed that some Canadian Coast Guard personnel in the island nation are providing capacity-building training as part of the military exercise called Cutlass Express, which the United States is leading.
It is a multinational exercise that is a part of Nunas' commitment to his international partners to help them become better equipped to fight crime, including migrant smuggling.
Following the accreditation ceremonies, the two diplomats met with Seychelles Vice President Ahmed Afif. Tang reiterated the subjects covered with the President during her meeting with the Vice President, and Nunas highlighted Canada's ICT prowess.
Canada has over 40,000 excellent companies in space and cyber security, FinTech, telecommunications, and other industries. She said they were working on a visa-free facility and recently presented a cultural agreement to Seychelles.
This will give cooperation on the cultural and artistic scenes, such as idea sharing and museum visits, an institutional framework. Because mobility was disrupted during the pandemic, some agreements, such as a labor agreement, were put on hold.
Nunas will be based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Tang will be based in Nairobi, Kenya.
