An embassy of the Seychelles is planned to open in Moscow in 2026, TASS reports, citing materials for talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the President of the Republic, Patrick Herminie, at the Kremlin.
The documents note that the Seychelles remains an important partner of Russia in Africa, and relations between the countries have a long history.
"This June, we will mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations (June 30, 1976). The opening of the Seychelles embassy in Moscow is planned for this year," the materials indicate.
Diplomatic relations between the USSR and the Seychelles were established immediately after the republic proclaimed its independence. The Russian embassy in the Seychelles is located on Mahé Island; Russia's ambassador is Artyom Kozhin. Currently, the Seychelles does not have its own diplomatic mission in Moscow. Russian affairs have traditionally been handled by the republic's embassy in France. The exception was the period from November 2017 to November 2018, when these functions were transferred to the Seychelles diplomatic mission in the United Kingdom, but the ambassador to London did not have time to present his credentials to the Russian president. The Republic of the Seychelles has two honorary consuls in Russia.
The President of the Seychelles arrived in Russia for a working visit on April 20. According to the Seychelles president's office, the main topics of the talks during the visit will be the development of tourism and investment promotion, as well as key areas of bilateral cooperation, including expanding air links and food security.