The President of the Republic of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, held official bilateral discussions with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez on Tuesday.

During the meeting, President Ramkalawan expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome extended to the Seychelles delegation and commended the strong diplomatic ties between the two island nations, which have spanned over four decades. Despite the geographic distance, he noted, the enduring relations between Seychelles and Cuba is rooted in shared values and mutual respect.

"Our present bilateral cooperation is both dynamic and evolving, and we anticipate continuous engagements on important global matters. I wish to reaffirm my personal commitment to work closely with you towards maintaining and consolidating the deep-seated relations that exists between Seychelles and Cuba.“ said President Ramkalawan.

President Diaz-Canel, in turn, thanked Seychelles for its consistent support of Cuba, particularly regarding the Cuban resolution against the U.S. embargo, and for President Ramkalawan’s participation in the G-77 and China Summit in Havana last year.

The two leaders agreed on key areas to further enhance cooperation, namely in the healthcare domain, pharmaceuticals, education and capacity building, cultural exchanges, as well as exploring new avenues of collaboration.

As part of the official visit, the two nations signed three bilateral agreements, enhancing collaboration in the areas of criminal justice, environmental protection, and academic-diplomatic training.

President Ramkalawan also paid tribute to Cuban national hero José Martí by laying a wreath at his monument, followed by a tour of the memorial.