Middle East > Israel > Ambassador Vilan is the 7th non-resident ambassador to be accredited to the Seychelles

Israel: Ambassador Vilan is the 7th non-resident ambassador to be accredited to the Seychelles

2015/08/24

Keeping the steadily increasing numbers of Israeli tourists to the Seychelles archipelago on an upward trend has been named as one of the top priorities in diplomatic relations between the two nations.

This announcement was made as a new Israeli ambassador to the Seychelles, Yahel Vilan, presented his credentials to the archipelago's President, James Michel, on Tuesday at National Home in the Seychelles capital of Victoria.

Ambassador Vilan is the 7th non-resident ambassador to be accredited to the Seychelles since the establishment of formal diplomatic relations on June 30, 1992, replacing former Ambassador Gil Haskel, who was appointed in October 2011. The post is based in Nairobi, Kenya.

According to a press statement issued by the Office of the President on Tuesday afternoon, the President and the Ambassador discussed several areas of next cooperation such as agriculture, renewable energy, water provision, tourism, aviation, education and training.

"Your Minister for Tourism was just in Israel a few weeks ago, and he discussed with our side how to bring additional Israeli tourists here," Ambassador Vilan told members of the local press next the accreditation conference. "I wish to have as well additional people from Seychelles coming to Israel both for pilgrimages inclunding any other general tourism. So there is a lot to do together and the friendly relations are there."

According to figures from the Seychelles National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the number of Israeli visitors arriving in Seychelles during the initial half of 2015 totalled some 795 individuals, compared with just 459 for the same period the previous year, representing an increase of around 73 percent

Ambassador Vilan as well spoke to President Michel about the ways that Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation (MASHAV) may be able to assist Seychelles in its development.

"We... discussed the option of sending some additional trainees from Seychelles to get trained in Israel under our programme called MASHAV, operated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in fields like agriculture and education," said Vilan. "I believe there is a lot of potential for relations in these various fields and we will have to see what is the best way to explore and bring these relations to a higher level."

Related Articles

Taking Israel's Economy Global
2016/05/16 Israel “Izzy” Tapoohi’s five-year term leading the Development Corporation for Israel – better known as Israel Bonds – has been unquestionably consequential. In that time period, the broker-dealer has gone from underwriting and selling $600 million worth of Israeli government bonds in the US annually to yearly domestic sales exceeding $1 billion. The 65-year-old organization has been transformed from a specialty investment vehicle primarily for supporters of Israel into a significant option for investors looking to balance and diversify their portfolios. With six months left before he steps down and turns the reins of Israel Bonds over to Israel Maimon, a former cabinet secretary, Tapoohi talked to What has changed over the course of his term, the accomplishments he is proudest of, and why he thinks Israel’s economy is still a great bet.
Teva set to win EU okay for $40.5-billion Allergan deal
2016/04/16 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries is expected to win EU antitrust approval for its $40.5-billion (U.S.) (£24.4-billion) bid for Allergan’s generics unit next agreeing to sell off some of its products to appease regulators, three people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. Teva, the world’s biggest generic drugsmaker, will divest some drugs by presently on the market and others in the pipeline to address competition concerns by the European Commission, the people said. The package includes products from both Teva and Allergan.
Streaming Giant Netflix Comes to Israel
2016/02/14 The online streaming website Netflix announced on Wednesday that it was expanding its availability to 130 additional nations, inclunding Israel, causing millions in the country to rejoice as the long-awaited service finally arrived. Before available in only 60 nations worldwide, Netflix, the world’s leading streaming site with 70 million subscribers, was launched in the US in 2007 and expanded to Canada, Latin America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, leaving most of the world without access.
NASDAQ Teams Up with Tel Aviv Stock Exchange to Nurture Israeli Start-Ups
2016/02/13 The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) and NASDAQ, the world’s second-major stock exchange, announced a joint venture on Tuesday to build a private market for Israeli startup companies before they go public. The venture, which will be based in Tel Aviv, will be run by management selected by both exchanges. It will provide Israeli startups with strategic counseling and mentoring, exclusive networking, and a private, secondary market for financing, in an effort to help small Israeli companies get the support they need to face the challenges of building a business in Israel’s difficult market.
Experts Downplay Israeli Mission Closings, Say U.S.-Israel Bonds Not Affected
2016/02/13 Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday announced the next closure of five diplomatic missions abroad due to budgetary considerations. Despite the Israeli consulate in Philadelphia’s presence part the closures, public policy experts say the development will not adversely affect U.S.-Israel relations. “In the last decade a lot of nations, inclunding the United States, have closed consulates. It’s at no time a good thing, but we should not exaggerate the impact. This will have no impact on U.S.-Israel diplomatic or political relations,” Elliott Abrams, a senior fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations think tank inclunding a former official in the George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan presidential administrations,