Mr. Selby Pillay, Ambassador of the Republic of Seychelles, led the Seychelles delegation at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Council of Ministers Meeting held from 12th to 13th March 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. Ambassador Pillay attended the meeting on behalf of Ambassador Barry Faure, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora of the Republic of Seychelles.
The meeting is being held under the theme “Advancing Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation, and Energy Transition for a Resilient SADC,” as adopted during the last Summit in August 2025 in Madagascar.
The Council of Ministers was preceded by the Standing Committee of Senior Officials, as well as a special meeting of Senior Officials and Experts on the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020–2030. The RISDP serves as a 10-year framework aimed at deepening regional integration and advancing sustainable development within the SADC region.
During his intervention, Ambassador Pillay highlighted that Seychelles continues to face structural economic challenges. He noted that the country’s economy remains highly vulnerable due to limited diversification, human capital constraints, and the growing adverse impacts of climate change. He further underscored the asymmetries that exist amongst Member States, particularly between small island developing states and larger, more diversified economies. In this regard, he underscored the importance of recognising the varying economic realities among Member States and the need for regional policies to take these differences into consideration.
Additionally, Ambassador Pillay expressed Seychelles’ support for the proposed strengthening of cooperation between SADC and India, particularly in areas of mutual strategic and developmental interest. These include sustainable development, digital transformation, and the responsible advancement of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Ambassador Pillay was accompanied by Mrs. Veronique Morel, Acting Head of Mission at the Seychelles High Commission in South Africa, and Ms. Trisha Hoareau, Second Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora.
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