Seychellois Foreign Minister Sylvester Radegonde arrived in Zagreb on Tuesday for the opening of his country's consulate general.

Seychelles can learn a lot from Croatia’s rich experience and expertise in tourism and hospitality, he said at a press conference with Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic-Radman.

Grlic-Radman said Seychelles was “the most developed African state, notably thanks to tourism, which is the most important branch of the economy there.”

Radegonde, the first Seychellois minister to visit Croatia, was scheduled to open the consulate general later in the afternoon.

He said he hoped that would bring Seychelles greater visibility in Croatia and Central Europe, and invited Grlic-Radman to visit his country.

Radegonde also met with Tourism and Sports Minister Nikolina Brnjac. He and the two Croatian ministers discussed possible exchanges in sports and tertiary education.

Seychelles wishes to learn from Croatian experts in vocational education and training, he said.

Grlic-Radman said Seychelles was “a key partner to the European Union” in the Indian Ocean, notably in “the geopolitical context of the competition in that area between China, India, the Gulf countries and Russia.

He and Radegonde talked about the challenges facing the two countries such as climate change, sustainable tourism, fisheries and the effect of the pandemic on the economy.