The United States reopened its embassy in the Seychelles after 27 years of absence. The US State Department announced the move late Thursday, after unveiling plans to open a diplomatic mission in northern Norway, which will be the only facility of its kind above the Arctic Circle.
The US Embassy in Victoria, the capital of the Seychelles, closed in 1996 as part of cost-saving measures after the end of the Cold War. US interests in the 115-island archipelago 1,500 km east of mainland Africa were handled by diplomats based in Mauritius.
“The time has come to raise the level of the relationship so that together we can better address common challenges and take advantage of mutually beneficial opportunities,” US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a statement, noting that the United States will focus its efforts there on economic development, climate change, maritime security, and combating Transnational crime and corruption. “Our common pursuit of peace, democracy and prosperity will be a beacon across Africa and the Indian Ocean region,” he added.