President of Seychelles Patrick Herminie said his country, Africa's closest nation to China, can serve as a bridge to strengthen trade and cultural exchange between China and Africa.

In an interview with China Media Group aired Friday, Herminie stressed that Seychelles holds a strategic position in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), enabling China and Africa to launch deeper cooperation through the island nation.

"Definitely, it can be a bridge. And from there you can have the exportation of cultures and trade between China and Africa via Seychelles. I think we are a very important link in that new Silk Road initiative (Belt and Road Initiative), where we are based. And from Seychelles, we can launch so many things to Africa and vice versa, from Africa, Seychelles to China. I think we are strategically placed for that," he said.

Seychelles is an archipelagic country located in the Indian Ocean off the eastern coast of the African continent. It is renowned worldwide for its natural beauty, unique ecological environment, and rich and diverse culture.