Expanding agricultural cooperation to strengthen the island nation’s food security was among the key areas of discussion as President Dr Patrick Herminie received the Letters of Credence of His Excellency Mr Alfred Musemuna, High Commissioner of the Republic of Zambia to the Republic of Seychelles, at State House this morning.

With Seychelles facing constraints in arable land, President Herminie explored opportunities for collaboration with Zambia, including the possibility of leasing agricultural land for crop production destined for the Seychellois market. The President noted that such cooperation could support national food security while creating new opportunities for trade, investment and economic partnership between the two countries.

Welcoming the High Commissioner, President Herminie congratulated him on his accreditation and reaffirmed the longstanding friendship between Seychelles and Zambia, which dates back to the establishment of diplomatic relations in March 1998. He expressed confidence that the High Commissioner's tenure would further strengthen bilateral cooperation and deepen ties across a range of sectors.

The President expressed Seychelles' sincere appreciation for Zambia's continued contribution to the country's education sector, recognising the 115 Zambian teachers currently serving in Seychelles' public schools. He also extended heartfelt condolences to the Government of Zambia and to the family of the late Mrs Angela Mbewe, who passed away in May 2026 while serving at Perseverance Secondary School, acknowledging her dedicated service to the people of Seychelles.

Beyond agriculture, President Herminie highlighted opportunities to expand cooperation through manpower training and capacity building in education, healthcare and agriculture. He noted that stronger collaboration in these areas would help build skills, enhance productivity and contribute to the sustainable development of both nations.

Discussions also explored ways to increase bilateral trade by identifying agricultural products that Zambia could export to Seychelles, taking advantage of Zambia's vast arable land and agricultural potential. The President emphasised that greater economic cooperation would add value to Africa's economies while supporting the continent's drive towards increased intra African trade.

As part of his programme, High Commissioner Musemuna also paid a courtesy call on Vice-President Sebastien Pillay. Their discussions focused on further strengthening bilateral cooperation in education, with particular emphasis on mathematics and science, as well as human resource development, trade and other areas of mutual interest, reflecting the shared commitment of Seychelles and Zambia to deepening their longstanding partnership.

On regional affairs, President Herminie reaffirmed Seychelles' commitment to the African Union's Agenda 2063 and its vision of an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa. He commended Zambia for co convening the 21st African Continental Climate Outlook Forum in Lusaka in June 2026 and reaffirmed Seychelles' commitment to advancing shared priorities through the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). The President also welcomed initiatives to strengthen regional connectivity, including the proposed regional shipping line for island and coastal Member States.

The President informed the High Commissioner that Seychelles has fully settled its assessed contribution to the Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (SAMIDRC) and is no longer under Level 1 sanctions within the Southern African Development Community (SADC). He also expressed appreciation for Zambia's invitation for Seychelles to participate in the SADC Electoral Observation Mission for Zambia's General Election scheduled for 13 August 2026, expressing confidence in Zambia's commitment to a peaceful, transparent and constitutional electoral process.

Both sides also reaffirmed their commitment to advancing the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by strengthening trade among African countries and jointly advocating for reforms to international financial institutions to improve equitable access to development finance .

For his part, High Commissioner Musemuna reaffirmed Zambia's commitment to further strengthening its longstanding relationship with Seychelles. He expressed admiration for Seychelles' peaceful society, democratic governance and development achievements, while emphasising Zambia's readiness to deepen cooperation in agriculture, education, health, trade and capacity building for the mutual benefit of both countries.

President Herminie reaffirmed Seychelles' commitment to building an even stronger partnership with Zambia, expressing confidence that the discussions would translate into practical cooperation that benefits both nations while advancing shared African development goals .