Underscoring the close ties between La Réunion and Seychelles, President Dr Patrick Herminie yesterday met with the Préfet de La Réunion Patrice Latron, as part of his official visit programme.

During their one-hour bilateral talks held at the Creolia Hotel in St Denis, the two men reviewed the cooperation between the two sister islands, which spans defence, security, combating drug trafficking, disaster management, education and sport. They agreed that cooperation in defence and security remains strong and dynamic, as attested by the many Seychellois nationals undergoing training in various fields in both Réunion and mainland France.

President Herminie expressed satisfaction with the longstanding partnership in security matters, which he said had also benefited members of the Police Force's Quick Response Team, trained by the French Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale (GIGN).

Discussions extended to the maritime domain, with both sides recognising shared challenges in protecting and monitoring their vast Exclusive Economic Zones. Seychelles commended the French navy's role in combating piracy, as well as its contribution to the fight against illegal fishing through joint patrols.

The fight against narcotics featured prominently in the talks between the two men. Seychelles welcomed continued cooperation with the French navy, which has led to drug seizures and the destruction of vessels involved in the illicit trade. Seychelles is seeking French assistance in carrying out a new survey on the extent of drug consumption in the country, and the two sides agreed that efforts should also focus on reducing demand for drugs. Préfet Latron said that a new campaign entitled 'Pa Ter La', focusing on prevention and education, is already showing positive results.

Disaster risk management was another point of discussion. President Herminie thanked La Réunion for its readiness to assist Seychelles and said that crisis management training received from France had played a critical part in enabling Seychelles to contain a recent fire outbreak on Praslin. He expressed a wish to expand cooperation in this field to cover other types of hazards.

President Herminie informed Préfet Latron that he is looking forward to visiting the Régiment du Service Militaire Adapté, as he would like to see how this model could help in establishing the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme.

President Herminie described sport as a critical area of cooperation, saying that Seychellois athletes need to perform better in the next edition of the Jeux des Îles de l'océan Indien. He identified assistance in coaching and training as potential areas for collaboration.

President Herminie thanked the Préfet for welcoming him to Réunion as guest of honour at the celebrations of French National Day, and congratulated him on his appointment as Commandeur de l'Ordre national du Mérite. He said Seychelles deeply values its friendship with France and La Réunion, and expressed confidence that continued collaboration would benefit the peoples of both islands and contribute to the stability and prosperity of the region.

A platoon from the Seychelles Defence Forces' Tazar Special Forces will take part in tomorrow's military parade in La Réunion.