Seychelles Ambassador, Mr. Joseph Nourrice, has presented his letters of credential to HE Mr. Girma Wolde-Giorgis, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, in a ceremony held in October. President Wolde-Giorgis extended a warm welcome to the Ambassador and his family and expressed the joy in having Seychelles joining the diplomatic community in Addis.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Nourrice conveyed to President Wolde-Giorgis and the people of Ethiopia the fraternal greetings and best wishes from Seychelles President Michel.

The exchange focused on the recent development in the bilateral relations between the two countries, one that has taken dynamism of immense proportion. Ambassador Nourrice noted that while Seychelles and Ethiopia enjoyed excellent relations at the regional, continental, and multilateral level, the engagement at the bilateral level was relatively limited until the leap this year.

Ambassador Nourrice said that “the setting up of the first resident mission in Addis will not only consolidate the gains of yester years, but also open avenues for new areas of cooperation, including trade, investment, and culture amongst others.”

Ambassador Nourrice described 2012 as a landmark year in the level and scope of cooperation between Seychelles and Ethiopia. He described the events culminating into this heightened level of cooperation, being the resumption of Ethiopian Airlines direct flight to Seychelles in April 2012, the signing of the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, and the Visa Exemption for Diplomatic and Official Passport in July this year.

Piracy in the Horn of Africa and its impact, both social and economic, on the coastal states, including Seychelles, was one of the areas of sustained discussion.
The leadership role played by Ethiopia in the search for lasting peace in the region was commended, especially as a country sharing a border with Somalia.

Ambassador Nourrice finally thanked the Ethiopian authorities for the assistance being provided in the build-up towards the setting up of the mission in Addis, and noted that the high level of optimism by both Seychelles and Ethiopia will, without doubt, culminate in taking the cooperation to new heights.