SEYCHELLES: PRESIDENT HERMINIE UNDERTAKES WORKING VISITS TO RUSSIA AND ABU DHABI

The Office of the President announced the visits on April 18, 2026, framing them as an expression of Seychelles' commitment to constructive and balanced international engagement. President Herminie arrived in Russia on April 19, where he was received at Domodedovo Airport by Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Borisenko and Ambassador Artem Kozhin. The visit to Abu Dhabi follows, rounding off a diplomatic double-header designed to deepen ties with two of the world's most consequential investment and connectivity hubs.

For Seychelles, the agenda is practical and urgent. Tourism remains the backbone of the island economy, and the Iran war-driven disruption of global aviation with thousands of flight cancellations and routes across the Gulf severely restricted has already hit visitor arrivals hard. Seychelles recorded its lowest visitor numbers since COVID-19 in March 2026, down 37% year-on-year. Talks on air connectivity and new flight routes are therefore not merely diplomatic courtesy they are economic necessity.

Russia has historically been a major source market for Seychelles tourism, with Russian travellers among the most frequent visitors to the archipelago. The UAE and Abu Dhabi, meanwhile, represent a gateway to Gulf investment, sovereign wealth capital and expanded air corridors. Both destinations offer Seychelles opportunities across tourism, infrastructure, food security and financial partnerships that the small island state cannot afford to pass up.

The visits also carry geopolitical weight. Seychelles, like many African and Indian Ocean nations, is navigating an increasingly multipolar world in which aligning exclusively with Western partners risks closing off economic opportunities elsewhere. Herminie's willingness to visit Moscow at a moment of heightened global tensions over the Iran war signals that Seychelles will define its foreign policy on its own terms and in its own interest.

Vice President Sebastien Pillay is acting as president during Herminie's absence. The delegation includes ministers and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, reflecting the seriousness with which Seychelles is treating these engagements. Outcomes from both visits are expected to include bilateral cooperation frameworks across the priority sectors discussed.