President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and the Secretary of State for Cabinet Affairs in Seychelles President's Office and special envoy of the President of Seychelles, Mohamed Afif have discussed ways to further enhance the existing bilateral relations between Maldives and Seychelles.

This was done during a courtesy call paid by the special envoy on Solih on Monday morning at the President’s Office.

Welcoming Afif to Maldives, Solih had expressed his hope that the longstanding cordial relations between Maldives and Seychelles will continue to flourish in the coming years.

As small island states that are striving for development, Solih said that Maldives and Seychelles share several challenges and vulnerabilities in common.

During the call, Afif noted that the new government since its establishment in September 2018, has shown positive change, adding that the government of Seychelles wishes to strengthen ties between the two countries alongside exploring all areas in which collaboration efforts may be exerted.

Further, Afif noted that the government of Seychelles has always worked towards a more sustainable and resilient approach to harness ocean resources within the region.

Expressing his hope that the Indian Ocean will remain peaceful and secure, Solih noted that the Maldives depends on the Indian Ocean for commerce and trade.

The Maldives President noted that Maldives recently announced its bid to host the Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG) in 2023, having expressed hope that Seychelles will extend support to hold the event in the Maldives.

While Afif was accompanied by Founder and Chief Executive of Nekton Oxford Deep Ocean Research Institute, Oliver Steed and Nekton Principal Scientist at the University of Oxford, Dr Lucy Woodall, he had presented Solih with a letter from Seychelles President, Danny Faure.