Chinese Minister of Culture welcomes his Seychelles counterpart in Beijing
Almasalla, ATP News- H.E. Mr. Cai Wu, the Minister of Culture of the People s Republic of China last Friday welcomed Minister Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture to Beijing.
The Chinese Minister and his Seychelles counterpart discussed among many other topics the renewal of the MOU for cooperation between their two countries. The existing MOU that covers implementation of cultural program for the period 2011 – 2014 is now in its final months and the two Ministers discussed the mapping out new bilateral exchanges.
“Renewal of the agreement is important to set the base for the future’’ said H. E. Mr Cai Wun said as he confirmed that China will agreed to renew this document with Seychelles as they see it as a good will gesture to further strengthen the good working partnership between both countries.
Minister Cai Wun said his country is happy to join hands with Seychelles in any way possible to push forward the cooperation. Minister Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister for Tourism and Culture thanked the Minister of the People’s Republic of China for they ongoing support in the field of culture. Minister St.Ange analyzed the long list of support that the People’s Republic of China had made available to the Seychelles Department of Culture and said that the support had been well received and appreciated.
At that same meeting Minister St.Ange was overwhelmed to learn confirmation had been given for an artistic delegation to take part in the 2015 Carnival International de Victoria in Seychelles and that China was assessing the possibility of sending an artistic group in the country for the second edition of the Seychelles-China Day celebrations in January 2015.
‘’ Seychelles-China Day celebrations is an opportune festival for China to fly high its colours’’ Minister St.Ange said to the Chinese Minister responsible for Culture.
During the meeting the Seychelles Minister also sought assistance from the Republic of China for the Archives Department in Seychelles. Minister St.Ange appealed to his Chinese counterpart H. E. Mr Cai Wun for assistance in long term planning of the archives section. "We believe China’s expertise could be more beneficial for Seychelles in safeguarding of its documents" the Seychelles Minister said.
The Seychelles Minister received assurance from China’s Ministry of Culture that they would send an expert in Seychelles to re-look in the long-term planning of the archives department. ‘’We need your guidance and expertise to solve a problem which is today compromising our Archives, a section of our Department of Cultural which is dear to Seychelles’’ Minister St.Ange said. The Chinese Ministry of Culture also agreed to give Seychelles professional guidance in setting up of its Maritime Museum. An official invitation was extended to the Chinese Minister for Culture to head a working delegation to Seychelles.
After the meeting H.E. Mr. Cai Wu, the Minister of Culture of the People’s Republic of China hosted Minister Alain St.Ange and his delegation to a Chinese Banquet.