VICTORIA, Seychelles — Vice-President Sebastien Pillay has held high-level bilateral meetings with the leadership of key African Union organs on the margins of the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, advancing Seychelles’ interests as an African island state. Vice-President Pillay met with Wamkele Mene, secretary general of the African Continental Free Trade Area, advocating for enhanced trade cooperation between mainland Africa and island nations.
The discussions addressed logistical barriers African island states face in transporting goods and services to the mainland and the importance of AfCFTA to protect local producers during tariff liberalisation. The AfCFTA secretary general expressed full support for Seychelles and offered to assist with a tailored AfCFTA national implementation strategy. Key highlights included that the AfCFTA Certificate of Origin would be released shortly.
Vice-President Pillay also met with Nardos Bekele-Thomas, chief executive of the African Union Development Agency. He urged the agency to serve as a vocal advocate for small states with limited resources, ensuring equitable support across the continent. Ms Bekele-Thomas commended Seychelles’ pioneering leadership in the Blue Economy, and AUDA-NEPAD offered its expertise to assist Seychelles in its fisheries negotiations with third countries.
Both the AfCFTA secretary general and the AUDA-NEPAD CEO have confirmed upcoming working visits to Seychelles. These missions will focus on aligning AU initiatives with Seychelles’ national priorities and assessing specific areas for technical and developmental support.
The meetings underscore Seychelles’ proactive engagement with continental trade and development frameworks. The Seychelles Implementation Strategy and Step-by-Step Guide for AfCFTA participation are under development with secretariat support.
Seychelles secures AfCFTA support and AUDA-NEPAD partnerships for trade integration and development.
