GIS – 11 Mar 2026: The President of the Republic of Seychelles, His Excellency Dr Patrick Herminie, reached Mauritius this afternoon on a four-day State Visit. Dr Herminie is the Chief Guest attending celebrations marking the 58 years of Independence of Mauritius and 34 years as a Republic.
He is leading a high-level delegation which comprises the First Lady of the Republic of Seychelles, Mrs Veronique Herminie, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, Mr Barry Faure, the Minister for Environment, Climate, Energy and National Resources, Ms Marie-May Jeremie, and other officials of the Government of Seychelles.
The aircraft carrying the Seychelles President landed at 12.01 pm at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport where he was received with full State honours. As soon as President Herminie stepped on the apron, he was greeted by a 21-Gun Salute. Afterwards, he was welcomed near the steps of the aircraft by the Prime Minister, Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam, and Ms Veena Ramgoolam; the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Paul Raymond Bérenger; the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Georges Pierre Lesjongard; the Speaker of the National Assembly, Mrs Shirin Aumeeruddy-Cziffra; along with Members of the National Assembly; and senior Mauritian dignitaries.
The President of Seychelles then proceeded to the dais where a State Salute was given and the National Anthems of the Republic of Seychelles and the Republic of Mauritius were played. After that Dr Herminie inspected the front rank of the Guard of Honour.
Programme
The President of the Republic of Seychelles will call on the President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Dharambeer Gokhool, at the State House. Dr Herminie will then have a tête-à-tête with the Prime Minister of Mauritius at the New Treasury Building. During his visit, he will also attend several functions, including a Delegation Level Meeting and the exchange of Memoranda of Understanding at the Sir Harilal Vaghjee Memorial Hall in Port Louis, followed by a State Banquet.
On 12 March, he will participate in a Wreath-Laying Ceremony and Tree Planting at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanic Garden. He will also visit the Aapravasi Ghat World Heritage Site and the Intercontinental Slavery Museum in Port Louis. Dr Herminie will also attend a lunch hosted by the President of the Republic, Mr Dharambeer Gokhool, at the State House.
The Seychelles President will be the Chief Guest at the Flag-Raising Ceremony at Champ de Mars in Port Louis. The official ceremony will be followed by a cultural programme featuring Mauritian artists.
Furthermore, he will meet the Seychelles Diaspora at the Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa.
Several Agreements, Memoranda of Understanding and a Programme of Cooperation are scheduled to be exchanged during the visit, covering areas ranging from fisheries, agriculture, fire and rescue services, statistics to heritage management, and arts and culture.
Relations built on History, Cooperation and Shared Ocean Interests
Mauritius and Seychelles share close and longstanding bilateral relations based on historical, cultural and geographical ties as neighbouring island states in the Indian Ocean. Seychelles was historically a dependency of Mauritius until 1903, and today both countries maintain what is often described as a special relationship.
Cooperation spans several areas including maritime security, fisheries, trade, the blue economy, technology and air connectivity. A notable example is the joint management of the extended continental shelf in the Mascarene Plateau through the Joint Management Area, regarded as a model of maritime cooperation. The two nations also collaborate to combat piracy and sustainably manage marine resources, while maintaining regular high-level consultations through the Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation.
Government Information Service, Prime Minister’s Office, Level 6, New Government Centre, Port Louis, Mauritius. Email: gis@govmu.org Website: https://gis.govmu.org Mobile App: Search Gov
