Diplomatic seminar - only half of the consuls attended

A seminar for Seychelles’ honorary consuls abroad was being held this week at the Plantation Resort.

 According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the organizer, the gathering, also being attended by the ambassadors, is to keep the participants abreast with developments taking place in  Seychelles. It is also, according to the Ministry, aimed at making Seychelles more visible in the regional and international arena.

At the last such event in 2005, President Michel called on the consuls to try to obtain at least one scholarship from the countries where they are based to benefit Seychellois students. It its hardly likely that such efforts have yielded any dividends.

 The number of consuls is however staggering; 80 according to “ Nation”. This however does not mean that Seychelles is represented in half of the globe. Many of the consuls come from just one country. France is an eloquent example, where Seychelles has honorary consuls in just about every major city. Besides the ambassador in Paris, there are consuls in Marseilles, Bordeaux and Nantes amongst others. The newly appointed consul in Nantes worked in the visa section of the French embassy and was proudly telling everyone that he had been called by “la Presidence”, with a little help from ambassador Tretout, presumably.

In Rome, where Italian businessman Graziello Triboldi  has converted his home into a Seychelles embassy, with himself  accredited as ambassador, the situation is rather similar, with representation in Milan, and anywhere deemed important.