(Seychelles News Agency) - The Seychelles National Assembly is set to strengthen partnership with the German Bundestag following the visit of a delegation of Seychelles parliamentarians to the German parliament.

In a press statement the National Assembly says the delegation led by the Speaker, Dr Patrick Herminie, held talks with the President of the Bundestag, Professor Norbert Lammert.

“Both sides agreed to strengthen partnership through exchange visits. The President of the Bundestag further pledged support for the National Assembly to strengthen its capacity building, both for Members of the National Assembly and staff of the Secretariat,” reads the statement.

The Bundestag offers youth exchange programmes and international parliamentary scholarship to other parliaments, as well as, training for journalists attached to parliament.

The setting up of a Parliamentary Friendship Association is another means to strengthen their partnership that was agreed upon by the National Assembly of Seychelles and the German Bundestag.

The Seychellois delegation also conducted a tour of the Bundestag after which Herminie said he was “particularly impressed with its infrastructure as well as it rules and procedures.”

The delegation of Seychelles parliamentarians led by the Speaker, Dr. Patrick Herminie and comprising of Jeniffer Vel, the Vice-Chairperson of the International Affairs Committee, Shelda Commettant, the Acting Clerk to the National Assembly. (Deutscher Bundestag) Photo License: CC-BY

From Berlin, the delegation went to Geneva to attend the 131st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the International Organisation of Parliaments and regroups all parliaments of the world that was established 1889

“Achieving Gender Equality, Ending Violence against Women” was the theme chosen for the session which was also addressed by Speaker Herminie who called on the IPU to put in place the necessary legal and policy framework to ensure women empowerment and gender equality.

“He called on all countries present to immediately ratify the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women. He put the conference on guard that whilst we strive to promote women we must always ensure that men be given the necessary support lest gender issue becomes a crisis of masculinity,” reads the statement from the National Asssembly.