AGP Executive Report

UN General Assembly 2026: As world leaders head to New York for the UNGA’s key week starting September 22, coverage flags a tense backdrop of wars, funding cuts and US-Iran fallout, with attention on President Trump’s likely UN approach and domestic political pressures. Seychelles–India Blue Economy: Seychelles is pushing deeper fisheries and aquaculture cooperation with India, with a Seychelles delegation meeting India’s CMFRI in Kochi to map shared research on sustainable management, mariculture and climate impacts. Seychelles–India MoU Focus: Separate reporting says both sides agreed to strengthen technical capacity and sustainable use of marine resources, linking ocean policy to food security and jobs. First Lady on Girls in STEM: Seychelles First Lady Veronique Herminie urged girls to break barriers and aim for space science and leadership, tying Seychelles participation to India’s Mission ShakthiSAT. Seychelles in Regional Youth Sport: Eswatini’s National Youth Games will return in 2028, with Seychelles named as a guest nation and youth sport framed as a pipeline to Mozambique’s Region V Youth Games. Diesel Prices Pressure: A fuel-cost roundup places Seychelles among Africa’s more expensive diesel markets, highlighting economic strain from transport and freight costs. Tembisa Hospital Fraud (Regional Crime): South Africa’s Stefan Govindraju—linked to alleged R600m+ Tembisa Hospital procurement fraud—was granted R200,000 bail after arrest following a trip to Seychelles.

Tembisa Hospital fraud case: Seychelles-linked angle emerges as South Africa’s Hawks arrest alleged procurement syndicate head Stefan Govindraju after a trip to the Seychelles, with allegations tied to about R600m in irregular hospital contracts; he faces fraud, corruption, money laundering and PFMA charges, and was later granted R200,000 bail after NPA said it would not oppose due to cooperation and ongoing talks. Blue economy diplomacy: Seychelles and India move to deepen fisheries and aquaculture cooperation, with a Seychelles delegation led by Wallace Cosgrow visiting India’s CMFRI in Kochi to discuss stock assessment, mariculture, tuna fisheries and marine bioprospecting, including interest in data systems and digital monitoring. Regional governance & youth sport: Eswatini’s National Youth Games will return in 2028, with Lesotho hosting next year and Seychelles named as a guest nation in the recent edition. Environment & risk: Reports warn the Indian Ocean is at a tipping point as marine heatwaves intensify alongside El Niño and a likely positive Indian Ocean Dipole—raising stakes for reefs, fish and coastal communities. International spotlight: PM Modi receives Uzbekistan’s top honour, drawing political pushback from AIMIM’s Owaisi, who cites Babur’s origins in Uzbekistan.

India–Seychelles Blue Economy: Seychelles and India have agreed to deepen cooperation on fisheries, aquaculture and the blue economy, with talks in New Delhi led by Fisheries Minister Wallace Cosgrow and India’s fisheries secretary Abhilaksh Likhi, focusing on sustainable marine resource management, tuna processing, post-harvest tech, conservation, and even digital and AI-enabled fisheries data systems. Women, Leadership & Space Education: Seychelles First Lady Veronique Herminie backed Mission ShakthiSAT, urging girls to break career barriers and aim for space science and satellite building, linking the programme to Seychelles’ participation and mentoring for future leaders. Regional Sports & Youth Games: Eswatini’s National Youth Games will return in 2028 with Lesotho hosting, and Seychelles is noted as a guest nation—small but meaningful regional exposure for young athletes. Tourism Policy Debate: Seychelles Ambassador-at-Large Alain St.Ange pushed the industry to measure tourism by community value, not just visitor numbers, arguing tourism should strengthen host communities rather than erode them. International Recognition: A week of diplomatic and institutional signals included Seychelles President Patrick Herminie listed among heads of state sending congratulations after Hakainde Hichilema’s re-election.

Blue Economy Diplomacy: Seychelles and India moved to deepen fisheries, aquaculture and blue-economy cooperation after a high-level New Delhi meeting, with talks on tuna fisheries, hatcheries, post-harvest tech, marine conservation and even digital monitoring and AI for harvest management. Women in Leadership: Seychelles First Lady Veronique Herminie urged girls to break career barriers at India’s Women Leadership and Diplomacy Summit, pointing to space-science ambitions and her own rise in the male-dominated construction sector. Sports Oversight: Youth and Sports Minister Kalsey Belle toured sports facilities across western Mahé, meeting district authorities and communities to assess access and maintenance. Regional Youth Sport: Seychelles was named as a guest nation at Eswatini’s National Youth Games, where the next edition is set to return in 2028 with Lesotho hosting in the interim. International Congratulatory Messages: A list of messages received so far from heads of state and government included Seychelles President Patrick Herminie’s congratulations to Zambia’s Hakainde Hichilema following re-election. Tourism Value Debate: Ambassador Alain St.Ange pushed the tourism industry to measure success by what tourism delivers to communities, not just visitor numbers. Judo on the Road: Seychelles judo team is set for the 9th International Open des Mascareignes in Réunion (Aug 29-30).

Diplomatic Messages: Heads of state and government across SADC and the Middle East have sent congratulations to Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema on re-election, including Seychelles President Dr Patrick Herminie. Fisheries & Blue Economy: Seychelles and India have moved to deepen cooperation on fisheries, aquaculture and the blue economy, with talks in New Delhi covering sustainable marine resource management, tuna processing, monitoring and surveillance, and digital and AI-enabled harvest management. Maritime Security & Governance: A separate India–Seychelles track also points to expanded ties in maritime security and digital governance alongside blue-economy collaboration. Tourism Policy Debate: Seychelles Ambassador-at-Large Alain St.Ange urged the tourism sector to measure success by community value, not just arrivals, arguing tourism must strengthen host societies rather than erode them. Sports & International Media: DAZN secured LaLiga broadcast rights across Sub-Saharan Africa for three seasons starting this weekend, bringing all 380 matches per season to 48 markets. Youth Sports: Eswatini’s National Youth Games will return in 2028, with Lesotho set to host next year and Seychelles named as a guest nation in the recent edition. Local Sports Oversight: Youth and Sports Minister Kalsey Belle toured sports facilities across western Mahé, engaging district authorities on maintenance and accessibility.

Seychelles–India Blue Economy: Seychelles and India held a high-level fisheries meeting in New Delhi, with both sides pushing a new push on sustainable marine resources, aquaculture, tuna fisheries, stock assessment, post-harvest tech, and marine conservation, including plans for digital fisheries data systems and AI-linked monitoring. Seychelles–India MoU Talks: The discussions also explored a dedicated Memorandum of Understanding with a structured work plan, plus technical exchanges, training, joint research, and reciprocal lab access. Regional Diplomacy: Seychelles President Patrick Herminie joined international congratulations for Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema’s re-election, alongside the IMF, Mozambique, AUDA-NEPAD and Egypt—signalling continued regional engagement. Sports & Youth: Seychelles judo is set for an international test at Réunion’s 9th International Open des Mascareignes (Aug 29–30), while Seychelles was also noted as a guest nation at Eswatini’s National Youth Games. Tourism Values: Ambassador Alain St.Ange urged the tourism industry to measure success by what tourism delivers for communities, not just visitor numbers. Local Sports Oversight: Minister Kalsey Belle toured sports facilities across western Mahé, meeting district authorities on maintenance and accessibility.

Seychelles–India Blue Economy Talks: Fisheries Minister Wallace Cosgrow met India’s fisheries secretary Abhilaksh Likhi in New Delhi to push a faster, more focused MoU on fisheries and aquaculture, with work on hatcheries, tuna fisheries, stock assessment, post-harvest tech, marine conservation, and stronger digital monitoring and even AI for harvest management. Regional Diplomacy: Seychelles President Patrick Herminie sent congratulations to Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema after his re-election, as the IMF and other regional leaders also pledged continued cooperation. Sports & Youth: Seychelles is listed as a guest nation at Eswatini’s National Youth Games, with Lesotho set to host the next edition in 2028 and top performers to be honoured ahead of Mozambique’s Region V Youth Games. International Judo: Seychelles judo heads to Réunion for the 9th International Open des Mascareignes de Judo (Aug 29–30), while the Seychelles Judo Federation also graded six new black belt holders. Tourism Value Debate: Ambassador Alain St.Ange urged the tourism industry to measure success by real community value, not just visitor numbers.

Fisheries & Blue Economy Diplomacy: Seychelles and India held high-level talks in New Delhi on 25 August, with Minister Wallace Cosgrow and India’s fisheries secretary Abhilaksh Likhi exploring a faster, more focused MoU on fisheries and aquaculture, plus tuna processing, stock assessment, marine conservation, and digital fisheries systems including monitoring and surveillance and AI for harvest management. Regional Political Signals: Seychelles President Patrick Herminie joined international congratulations for Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema’s re-election, with the IMF, AUDA-NEPAD and Egypt also pledging continued cooperation. Tourism Policy Debate: Ambassador Alain St.Ange urged the tourism industry to measure success by what tourism delivers for communities—not just visitor numbers—linking local ownership, cultural preservation and real economic value to better decision-making. Sports & Youth Development: Seychelles’ presence was noted at Eswatini’s National Youth Games, where the event’s rotation plans point to Lesotho hosting the next edition in 2028, with Seychelles entering a small delegation. Energy Transition Context: At the ISA Africa solar meeting in Victoria Falls, Seychelles-linked remarks highlighted the need for solar storage, stronger grids and investable projects—part of a wider push for Africa to scale solar from megawatts to gigawatts. Legal Cooperation (India): India’s Union Cabinet approved extradition treaties with Kenya, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyz Republic, and gave ex-post-facto approval for a Seychelles extradition treaty signed in June.

Tourism Policy Shift: Seychelles Ambassador-at-Large Alain St.Ange urged the tourism industry to measure success by real community value, not just visitor numbers, warning that tourism can either strengthen or erode host societies. Blue Economy Diplomacy: Seychelles and India agreed to deepen cooperation on fisheries and the blue economy, with talks covering tuna fisheries, aquaculture, stock assessment, post-harvest tech, marine conservation, and digital monitoring plus a push for a structured MoU/work plan. Regional Political Signals: Seychelles President Patrick Herminie joined IMF and other regional leaders in congratulating Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema on re-election, pledging continued cooperation. Sports Oversight: Youth and Sports Minister Kalsey Belle visited sports facilities across western Mahé, meeting district authorities and communities on access and maintenance. Energy Transition Context: Seychelles-linked coverage highlighted Africa’s push toward scaling solar to 200GW, with calls for investment, grids, and storage to improve energy security. Mobility & Travel: Henley Passport Index reporting placed Seychelles as Africa’s top passport for visa-free access, while US port-security watchlist updates again included Seychelles. International Cooperation: China’s ambassador met Seychelles’ Vice President Sebastien Pillay and senior officials to discuss expanded practical cooperation across digital transformation, science and technology, and infrastructure.

Fisheries & Blue Economy Diplomacy: Seychelles and India held a high-level meeting in New Delhi to deepen cooperation in fisheries, aquaculture and the wider blue economy, with talks covering tuna fisheries, hatcheries, stock assessment, post-harvest technology, marine conservation, and digital monitoring—plus a push for a structured work plan and a dedicated MoU. Regional Political Signals: Seychelles President Patrick Herminie joined IMF, Mozambique, AUDA-NEPAD and Egypt in congratulating Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema on re-election, pledging continued partnership as he begins a new term. Energy Transition Focus: At the International Solar Alliance regional meeting in Victoria Falls, Seychelles’ Marie-May Jeremie backed solar expansion, stressing the need for storage, strong grids and investable projects to cut reliance on imported fuels. Sports Governance on the Ground: Youth and Sports Minister Kalsey Belle visited sports facilities across western Mahé, meeting district authorities and communities on maintenance, access and conditions. International Mobility & Policy Spillovers: US port-security restrictions continue to include Seychelles, while separate travel-access rankings highlight Seychelles’ strong passport mobility in global indices.

India–Seychelles Fisheries Push: Seychelles and India agreed to deepen cooperation on fisheries, aquaculture and the blue economy after a high-level New Delhi meeting, with talks on tuna fisheries, hatcheries, stock assessment, post-harvest technology, marine conservation, and digital tools including AI and fisheries data systems—plus a push for a dedicated fisheries and aquaculture MoU and a structured work plan. Energy Transition Spotlight: At the International Solar Alliance regional meeting in Victoria Falls, Seychelles officials backed solar expansion, stressing rooftop/distributed solar, storage, stronger grids, and ISA partnership frameworks to turn sunlight into investable projects. Regional Political Signals: Seychelles joined other regional leaders in congratulating Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema on re-election, underscoring continuity and regional development ties. Diplomatic Engagement: China’s ambassador to Seychelles met Vice President Sebastien Pillay and senior officials, signaling readiness to expand practical cooperation across digital transformation, science and technology, housing, infrastructure, poverty reduction and disaster risk management. Legal/Border Matters: India’s Union Cabinet approved extradition treaties with Kenya, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and gave ex-post facto approval for a Seychelles extradition treaty. Sports Update: Seychelles Judo Federation graded six new black belt holders at Roche Caïman Dojo.

India–Seychelles Blue Economy Talks: New Delhi hosted a high-level meeting on 25 August where Seychelles pushed to fast-track a fisheries and aquaculture MoU with India, with both sides agreeing to deepen cooperation on tuna fisheries, marine aquaculture, stock assessment, post-harvest tech, conservation, and a structured work plan. Digital Fisheries & AI: The delegations also flagged digital transformation—fisheries data systems, monitoring and surveillance, and AI for harvest management—alongside training, joint research, and reciprocal lab access. Energy Transition Focus: Seychelles’ environment and energy leadership used the ISA Africa solar meeting in Victoria Falls to call for rooftop and distributed solar, stressing storage, stronger grids, and investable projects. Regional Diplomacy: Seychelles joined AUDA-NEPAD and other regional leaders in congratulating Zambia’s President Hichilema on re-election, signalling continuity support. Extradition Legal Framework: India’s Union Cabinet approved extradition treaties with Kenya, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and gave ex-post facto approval for a Seychelles extradition treaty signed in June. Maritime Security Watch: Reports say Seychelles remains on a US port-security restrictions watch list, a reminder of how external security assessments can affect shipping operations.

India–Seychelles Agri Cooperation: Seychelles’ Minister Wallace Cosgrow met India’s ICAR chief in New Delhi to advance a June 2026 MoU on capacity building and agriculture research for meat, poultry and pork sectors. Seychelles–India Digital & Maritime Links: A separate India–Seychelles relations dialogue highlighted deeper cooperation in maritime security, the Blue Economy and digital governance, with young researchers presenting priorities for future work. Russian Flag Day in Seychelles: A Russian Embassy-organised motorcade in Mahé and cultural events at the Seychelles Academy of Tourism marked 22 August, with students taking part in Russian-language workshops and tricolour activities. US Port-Security Watch: The US Coast Guard kept Seychelles on its port-security advisory list, citing inadequate antiterrorism measures and adding extra security conditions for ships calling at affected ports. UK Ancestry Visa Route: The UK highlighted the Ancestry Visa scheme for Commonwealth citizens, listing Seychelles among eligible countries for applicants who can prove a UK-born grandparent. Regional Health Signal: WHO’s Africa chief said several countries, including Seychelles, are still reaching disease-control milestones despite major funding cuts.

Diplomacy & Tech Cooperation: China’s Ambassador Lin Nan met Seychelles Vice President Sebastien Pillay and senior officials to discuss deepening bilateral cooperation across ICT, science and technology, digital transformation, housing, infrastructure, poverty reduction and disaster risk management. Maritime Security: The US Coast Guard kept Seychelles on its port-security advisory list, citing ports that are “not maintaining effective antiterrorism measures,” meaning extra security conditions for vessels calling at affected countries before entering the US. Mobility & Passports: Seychelles is highlighted in multiple travel-access rankings, including the Henley Passport Index where the Seychelles passport is listed as Africa’s most powerful, with visa-free access to 155 destinations. International Engagement: Seychelles held a motorcade in Victoria to mark Russian National Flag Day, organised by the Russian Embassy and African Initiative, alongside cultural events at the Seychelles Academy of Tourism and the Russian Embassy. Tourism Partnerships: Seychelles tourism is being pushed through new Kenya Airways-linked safari-and-beach packages aimed at attracting North American visitors, with officials pitching the “Kenya safari + Seychelles beach” combination.

Russian Flag Day in Seychelles: A Russian Embassy-organised motorcade in Mahé marked 22 August, with ambassador Kirill Sokolov-Shcherbachev leading five cars from Eden Island to Pointe Larue Airport, while Russian-flagged ships joined and Russian-language students staged cultural activities at the Seychelles Academy of Tourism. India–Seychelles ties: At an India–Seychelles relations dialogue in New Delhi, High Commissioner Lalatiana Accouche and researchers discussed deeper cooperation in maritime security, the Blue Economy, digital governance, education and people-to-people links. Tourism push with Kenya Airways: Seychelles Tourism Board officials promoted “twin-centre” safari-and-beach packages with Kenya Airways, targeting North American travellers via Nairobi connections to pair Kenya wildlife with Seychelles island holidays. Seychelles in UK visa spotlight: A UK Ancestry visa scheme lists Seychelles among eligible Commonwealth-linked countries, offering a route to live and work in the UK for up to five years—useful for Seychellois applicants planning longer-term mobility. Regional gender progress: A Southern Africa Gender and Development Index update says Seychelles is among the few countries scoring above 60%, highlighting gains alongside rising political, legal and financial pressure on gender commitments. Maritime security watch: The US Coast Guard’s port security advisory list still includes Seychelles, meaning extra security conditions may apply to ships calling at affected ports before entering the United States.

Seychelles–Russia Relations: A Russian National Flag Day motorcade rolled through Victoria, with the Russian ambassador leading five cars from Eden Island to Pointe Larue Airport, while Russian-flag events also drew about 100 Russian-language students at the Seychelles Academy of Tourism. India–Seychelles Cooperation: An India–Seychelles relations dialogue in New Delhi highlighted scope to deepen ties in maritime security, the Blue Economy, digital governance, education and people-to-people links. Tourism Push: Seychelles and Kenya Airways are promoting “safari-and-islands” twin-centre holidays for North America, aiming to convert safari bookings into Seychelles beach and marine experiences. Regional Security Watch: The US Coast Guard’s port security advisory keeps 22 countries on its list, including Seychelles, meaning extra security requirements for ships calling at affected ports before entering the US. Blue Economy Skills: Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam Maritime Institute is positioning for more blue-economy investment, with a focus on fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, transport and logistics—an approach Seychelles policymakers may watch closely. Culture & Recognition: Seychellois artist Leon Radegonde received an Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Art Award for his contribution to contemporary African art.