The President of the Republic of Seychelles, Mr. Wavel Ramkalawan received His Serene Highness Prince Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco, at State House yesterday. Prince Albert II is on an official visit to Seychelles since Monday where he conducted an expedition to the Aldabra atoll, one of Seychelles' UNESCO World Heritage sites with his delegation. The Head of State and His Serene Highness Prince Albert II discussed state affairs in a tête-à-tête meeting before joining a bilateral meeting, which was also attended by Vice-President Ahmed Afif, the Designated Minister François Ferrari, Ministers, Chairperson of the Seychelles Islands Foundation, Mr. Bernard Georges and other delegates from the Monégasques, which included scientists.
The bilateral meeting centered on the expedition itself, which is part of the Monaco Exploration Mission in the Indian Ocean, organised by the Prince Albert of Monaco Foundation and the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco. There, His Serene Highness Prince Albert II brief President Ramakalwan on the fundamental aspects of the expedition as well as the way forward.
President Ramkalawan and His Serene Highness Prince Albert II then addressed the media, to expound on the progress of their exchanges and expressed their satisfaction concerning the relations between the Republic of Seychelles and the Principality of Monaco.
In his statement, President Ramkalawan said that it was an honour for the Government and the people of Seychelles to receive Prince Albert II here in Seychelles. The President underlined that this expedition brings hope for partnership and the protection of Seychelles’ biodiversity. Furthermore, above all, it brings hope for the great visibility of the Saya de Malha bank, where the largest seagrass meadow in the world is located, and which Seychelles now manages with Mauritius. Apart from the expedition, he said that they also discussed other areas of cooperation such as education, and youth exchanges.
“In relation to the expedition that your Foundation is leading, it will definitely be of good use to both, your research and us. I have been briefed on the research on the corals, and how we can develop more resilient corals to fight bleaching and restoration of the reefs, I am therefore looking forward to its final results,” said the President.
On his part, The Sovereign Prince said that he is happy and satisfied that he has finally been able to conduct this long due official visit to Seychelles. He commended the government of Seychelles for efforts being made in the preservation of the environment. He explained that the exploration would comprise of 80 scientists from different countries. They will be undertaking research on the corals, mangroves, turtles, and the flora and fauna around the Aldabra Atoll. Further research is taking place at sea that includes Seychellois participants. His Serene Highness Prince Albert II reaffirmed the commitment of the Principality of Monaco to assisting Seychelles with the research. He further affirmed future cooperation between the two countries in areas of mutual benefit.
Following that, the Head of State and The First Lady, Mrs. Linda Ramkalawan hosted a reception for His Serene Highness Prince Albert II in the State House garden. As he proposed a toast in honour of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II, he wished for the success of the Aldabra Expedition and the strengthening of the ties of friendship between the Principality of Monaco and Seychelles. “Your presence among us today is proof of your commitment by our side to build a fruitful and lasting partnership. This visit affords us the opportunity to fully appreciate the extent of the relations of friendship and cooperation existing between our two countries. It is also an opportunity for me to express here to Your Highness the expression of my firm and constant determination to pursue them with vigour. I also wish to assure you of our commitment to the continued strengthening of cooperation between the Prince Albert of Monaco Foundation and the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco,” said the President.
In proposing his own toast, His Serene Highness Prince Albert II stated that he is pursuing in the footsteps of his late great-great-grandfather and late father. He said that will continue to move forward with their incredible vision and legacy for their dedication and love for the oceanography, other different sciences and gave his commitments to help other countries to further understand their marine eco-systems. Through the partnership between the countries, His Serene Highness said that this should be a stepping stone for future collaboration, not only for the expression of friendship, trust, and understanding, but to also convince other countries to join forces to be able to ensure a healthier planet and oceans for future generations.
“The signing of the MoU yesterday on Aldabra was a testimony of Monaco’s commitment to Seychelles. The MoU in the advancement of knowledge on corals and how we can put our best specialists together to figure out what species of corals will be most resilient in the years to come to help save our coral reefs, the danger that there is due to climate crisis, climate change and consequences for our ocean. We welcome this partnership and we know this will open the door for future collaboration in the environmental sphere and beyond that, as well as in other sectors that we will find of mutual benefits,” he said.
The reception was also attended by Vice President Ahmed Afif, Mrs. Stella Afif, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Roger Mancienne, the Chief Justice, Justice Rony Govinden, the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Anthony Fernando, member of the diplomatic corps of Seychelles, Members of the National Assembly of Seychelles, high officials of the Seychelles’ government, and the Scientists from Monaco.
