<a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/sheikh-mohamed-bin-zayed/" target="_blank">President Sheikh Mohamed</a> on Friday discussed bilateral relations with Wavel Ramkalawan, President of <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/seychelles/" target="_blank">Seychelles</a>, during a visit to the nation's capital. Sheikh Mohamed discussed ways of strengthening relations between the two nations, especially in the fields of trade, investment and tourism, during a meeting at the State House in Victoria. Mr Ramkalawan welcomed Sheikh Mohamed and his accompanying delegation and praised the UAE's support for Seychelles in many developmental areas and the assistance provided to his country during the onset of the pandemic. Sheikh Mohamed thanked Mr Ramkalawan for the warm reception and hospitality and spoke about the friendly relations between the UAE and Seychelles, and the progress being made in various fields that will benefit both countries. Seychelles, a popular global tourism destination, is an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, 50 per cent of which are protected areas. Relations between Seychelles and UAE have developed steadily in recent years. During the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the UAE dispatched the first batch of vaccines to Seychelles, which helped to vaccinate citizens and reopen the country's economy, Mr Ramkalawan said in March. The non-oil trade exchange between the two nations grew 27.3 per cent in 2021 compared with the previous year, with non-oil exports up 35.1 per cent, re-exports 25 per cent, and imports 16.7 per cent, UAE state news agency Wam reported in March.
