The Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat (AfCFTA), H.E. Mr. Wamkele Mene paid a courtesy call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, Mr. Barry Faure, on Tuesday 3 March at Maison Quéau de Quinssy.
During the meeting, SG Mene and Minister Faure discussed connectivity between African SIDS and the mainland to advance the flow of goods and services across the continent. In light of the conflict currently affecting parts of the Middle East, Minister Faure highlighted the need to diversify Seychelles economy and transit hubs through which tourists travel to reach Seychelles, in order to avoid potential disruptions to tourist arrivals. He noted that this applies to both maritime and air connectivity.
They also touched on how the AfCFTA and the Seychelles Government could collaborate on advancing the country’s digital transformation, a sector where SG Mene noted that the AfCFTA saw many opportunities for the Seychelles.
Minister Faure took the opportunity to sensitize SG Mene on the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI), which he stressed was fairer calculation method than using the GDP per capita; asking the AfCFTA to advocate for the institutionalization of the MVI to their partner financial institutions.
It is worth noting that Seychelles is among the first ten African countries to ratify the AfCFTA Agreement. The courtesy visit by SG Mene and his delegation follows a bilateral meeting between the Government of Seychelles and the AfCFTA Secretariat on the sidelines of the AU Summit on 15 February, aimed at advancing the AfCFTA agenda and exploring how Seychelles can best benefit from its implementation.
