The Secretary General, Mr. Bekele Geleta, who is in Seychelles for the Red Cross Finance Commission Meeting, took this opportunity to meet with the President on the strengthening of the partnership between the Red Cross, both the local and international bodies, with the government of Seychelles.

“The government truly values the selfless efforts of the Red Cross community in Seychelles. They have always been at the forefront of local disasters, particularly the tsunami, and we thank them for their efforts,” said the President.

The President and the Secretary General, who is the first to visit Seychelles, also discussed opportunities to strengthen collaborations and continued support of the Red Cross Society of Seychelles (RCSS) in its efforts to expand and step-up its level of engagement both locally and on a global platform.

Also present at the meeting was Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jean-Paul Adam; Mr. Chrystold Chetty, who is the Chairman of the Finance Commission; and Ms. Barbara Carolus-Andre, the Chairman of the RCSS.

During the meeting, President Michel hailed the role of Mr. Chetty as the first African Chairman of the Finance Commission, saying that he was a prime example of the dynamic Seychellois making history and playing a dynamic role on the international scene.

Mr. Chetty and Ms. Carolus-Andre also took this opportunity to thank the government of Seychelles for their support of the RCSS, in particular for the donation of three plots of land on the three main islands for the establishment of Red Cross offices.