Ambassador Alain St Ange Revives Strategic Cooperation Between Seychelles and Reunion, Driving a New Era of Creole Partnership

Ambassador Alain St Ange has taken bold steps to revitalise cooperation projects between Seychelles and Reunion, leading a high-level series of institutional meetings aimed at deepening ties between the two sister islands. His mission took place on the sidelines of the prestigious 1st International Summit and Festival of Creole Chefs, hosted on 23–24 May at MOCA – Domaine de Montgaillard, Reunion.

Tourism development, Creole cultural diplomacy, the blue economy, and enhanced air connectivity dominated the agenda—each discussion marked by a strong spirit of mutual benefit and win-win collaboration, with clear opportunities to strengthen economic resilience, cultural visibility, and regional competitiveness for both territories.

Strengthening Political & Cultural Alliances

During his visit, Ambassador St Ange held a key meeting with Huguette Bello, President of the Regional Council and one of the most influential voices in Indian Ocean regional cooperation.

Both leaders reaffirmed the profound historical and cultural bonds uniting Seychelles and Reunion, emphasising that their vibrant shared Creole identity must remain the bedrock of future joint initiatives.

Tourism emerged as the most advanced area of progress, with discussions spotlighting the achievements of the Vanilla Islands organisation—co-founded by St Ange—in expanding cruise tourism and pioneering multi-island holiday packages that significantly enhance visitor flow across the Indian Ocean region.

For Seychelles, this strengthens destination visibility, increases multi-stop tourism arrivals, and diversifies its tourism source markets. For Reunion, it reinforces its positioning as a key regional hub and boosts long-stay tourism linked to island-hopping experiences, creating additional value for local hospitality and service industries.

Culture was highlighted as the next major strategic frontier. Building on the energy of the Creole Chefs Summit, both islands are looking to position Creole heritage as a powerful tool for cultural diplomacy and international attraction.

This collaboration will benefit Seychelles by expanding its cultural export and global brand identity, while Reunion gains increased international recognition of its cultural industries, festivals, and creative economy, opening new opportunities for artists, events, and cultural tourism.

Blue Economy Cooperation: Fishing as a Priority Sector

Ambassador St Ange also met with Wilfrid Bertile for an in-depth dialogue on the fishing sector—an economic pillar for both territories. Talks focused on strengthening training programmes, developing joint ventures, and sharing technical expertise.

These initiatives are expected to benefit Seychelles by enhancing skills development, improving fisheries sustainability, and expanding access to regional markets. For Reunion, the cooperation strengthens industrial capacity, supports value chain expansion in deep-sea fishing, and promotes innovation through shared expertise.

A notable milestone is the Reunion Region’s 2025 acquisition of a stake in SAPMER, a leading deep-sea fishing operator in the Indian Ocean and the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. This development creates a stronger platform for coordinated investment strategies and operational cooperation between both territories, enhancing profitability and long-term resource management.

Restoring Direct Air Links for Greater Connectivity

In a separate meeting with Hugues Marchessaux, discussions centred on the possibility of restoring a direct air link between Reunion and Seychelles.

Both parties explored the economic, operational, and strategic conditions needed to launch a sustainable route—particularly in connection with European markets—to ensure long-term commercial success and enhanced mobility between the islands.

For Seychelles, this would significantly increase tourist arrivals, improve business connectivity, and strengthen access to European transit routes. For Reunion, it would reinforce its role as a regional aviation hub, expand outbound tourism options, and improve commercial exchanges across the Indian Ocean.

A Renewed Vision for Regional Integration

The series of strategic engagements led by Ambassador Alain St Ange underscores a clear and renewed commitment: Seychelles and Reunion are ready to convert their cultural proximity and shared values into tangible, future-driven partnerships.

Next steps will include the creation of sectoral roadmaps as well as the mobilisation of regional cooperation mechanisms, notably the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC).

This renewed partnership sets the foundation for stronger economic integration, increased tourism flows, enhanced cultural exchange, and sustainable development—positioning both Seychelles and Reunion as key drivers of a more connected and competitive Indian Ocean region.

Categoría:

Presione soltar 

Organización:

Clevenard

Escrito por:

Tolu Osindero

Phone:

+34631279811