The newly appointed High Commissioner of the Republic of Maldives to the Republic of Seychelles, His Excellency Mr. Masood Imad, presented his Letters of Credence to President Dr. Patrick Herminie during an accreditation ceremony held at State House this morning.
President Dr. Patrick Herminie warmly welcomed His Excellency Mr. Imad, noting that he is the second High Commissioner of the Republic of Maldives to be accredited to the Republic of Seychelles. The ceremony marked an important milestone in further strengthening the cordial diplomatic relations between the two island nations.
Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Seychelles and the Republic of Maldives were established on 1st July 1980. The High Commissioner of the Republic of Maldives to the Republic of Seychelles will be based in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
During bilateral discussions, tourism featured prominently as a key area of mutual interest. President Herminie commended the strong performance of the Maldives’ tourism sector, highlighting that the country recorded over 99,000 visitors by mid-January 2026. As fellow small island states with tourism as a central economic pillar, the Maldives is well positioned to share valuable insights with Seychelles on strategies that have underpinned its success and sustained growth in the industry.
In response, High Commissioner Imad shared insights into the strategies that have contributed to this success, including the Maldives’ visa-free entry policy and a strong border management system, which have made the destination more accessible and attractive to visitors. He noted that these policies have helped strengthen the tourism sector in ways that expanded business activity and created additional employment opportunities for local communities. High Commissioner Imad further emphasised that the Maldivian tourism team has been able to turn challenges into new opportunities that benefit the country, adding that world-class service delivery within the hotel industry remains a major competitive advantage. Building on this point, President Herminie proposed exploring the possibility of an exchange programme for workers and students in the tourism sector between the two countries. The President observed that key executive positions within the industry are often occupied by expatriates, and such an exchange programme would better equip local professionals with the skills and expertise needed to deliver world-class service. This would, in turn, contribute to a more sustainable and competitive tourism sector
As an additional point of discussion, President Herminie stated that he looks forward to further strengthening relations with the Maldives in other areas, including hospitality services. Both sides discussed the possibility of formalising cooperation on tourism internships, which would enable more Seychellois to gain practical, hands-on experience within the Maldivian tourism industry.
In addition, High Commissioner Imad noted that the Maldives is currently aggressively incentivising its tourism sector and foreign investment as part of efforts to drive economic growth. The discussions also covered other areas of shared interest, including taxation frameworks, electricity provision, the use of solar energy, and water sourcing for farming and local communities in both countries.
Also present at the accreditation ceremony were the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, Ambassador Barry Faure; the Director General for Bilateral Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, Ms. Lindy Ernesta; and the Second Secretary for Bilateral Affairs, Ms. Ingrid Lacrosse.
Following the accreditation ceremony, High Commissioner Imad paid a courtesy call on the Vice President of the Republic of Seychelles, Mr. Sebastien Pillay.
