(Seychelles News Agency) - Health practitioners from Seychelles will receive training in Hungary in December under renewed bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

The new areas of cooperation were revealed in a bilateral meeting between Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó, and Seychelles' Foreign Affairs and Tourism minister, Sylvestre Radegonde, on Tuesday.

Szijjártó is on a one-day visit in Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, following an invitation from Radegonde on his visit to Budapest in July. As part of his visit he also met with President Wavel Ramkalawan.

A delegation from Seychelles' health ministry led by the Principal Secretary will travel to Hungary in December to learn about its drug rehabilitation programme.

"The first start will be to have your psychologists, your drug prevention experts and your doctors to come. They will receive training in two institutions of ours," said Szijjártó.

The Hungarian government will also share its expertise with Seychelles on how to deal with the criminal aspects of drug abuse.

"We have been discussing the agreement on tackling crime, mostly regarding drug use and drug trafficking," said the Hungarian official.

The two ministers signed two agreements aimed at improving cooperation between Seychelles and Hungary.

"We have signed one regular consultation as friends, to consult on issues. Our level of cooperation now is such that we can talk, discuss if we can agree on certain positions that we could adopt on the international forum. If we don't agree then we discuss and we move on," explained Radegonde.

Tourism is another area of cooperation between the two countries and Radgeonde said it can be training or exchange of visits and "how we can work together to make progress in that industry," he added.

Under the renewed bilateral cooperation, Seychelles will benefit from the establishment of a cyber-security centre next year.

This is part of an initiative in which the Hungarian Exim Bank has made available $17 million credit line to use for import/export transactions, forming joint ventures as well as running for tenders on firm markets.

Szijjártó said that with the pandemic more children are having to study virtually at home and "they are a defenceless target group for those who commit cybercrime. That is why I think cyber security is going to be most important, and this is why I think that this centre will help the republic of Seychelles to go through this challenge," he said.

The company that will set up the company is expected to sign a cooperation agreement this year with the government, after discussions with the Ministry of Innovation and technology. The centre will be set up next year once all formalities are completed.

"The infrastructure, the hardware, the training and the financial aspects would be insured by this Hungarian company," said the Hungarian minister.

Other areas that Seychelles will also benefit from are agriculture and maritime safety.

Seychelles and Hungary established relations in 1977, and during that time there has been cooperation in the area of education. Last year 10 scholarships were given to Seychelles with an additional 10 added this year.

There are currently two Seychellois studying in the country.