The new Ambassador of the State of Israel to the Republic of Seychelles, H.E. Ambassador Oded Joseph, officially presented his credentials to the President of the Republic, Mr Danny Faure, during an accreditation ceremony held at State House this morning.

The President congratulated Ambassador Joseph on his accreditation and expressed his hope that the longstanding friendly relations between the two nations continue to flourish.

“Our countries have shared a lengthy friendship and have continued to mutually advance common ambitions across varied platforms for the shared benefits of our peoples. I am confident that your accreditation today will serve as a catalyst to further elevate our engagements to new heights,” said President Faure.

“Seychelles reaffirms its commitment to strengthen the relationship with Israel and looks forward to explore new avenues for collaboration. Seychelles will strive to ensure that the engagement with the Israel maintains strong momentum, where we will work closely to achieve our common objectives and shared aspirations,” added President Faure. 

On his part, Ambassador Joseph thanked the President and the people of Seychelles for the warm welcome extended to him on his first visit to Seychelles. He further conveyed to the President the great importance his government attaches to the relations with Seychelles. He further highlighted that the landmark first direct flight from Israel to Seychelles is a clear example of the commitment to bring relations of both Seychelles and Israel closer not only in the domain of air connectivity and tourism but in also in other areas mutually beneficial for its peoples.

Some of the areas discussed for possible future cooperation included agriculture, tourism, innovation, and technology. 

Seychelles and Israel established diplomatic ties on 30th June 1992. Ambassador Oded will be based in Nairobi, Kenya. 

Also present during the meeting was the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the Blue Economy, Ambassador Barry Faure and other Department of Foreign Affairs officials.