Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Press release
29th November 2011
Seychelles Steps Up Bilateral relations with UAE
Following the opening of the new Seychelles Embassy in Abu Dhabi last
Thursday, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jean-Paul Adam, has met
with his counterpart, the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the United
Arab Emirates, His Highness, Sheik Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and
with the Minister for the Interior, His Highness, Sheik Saif Bin Zayed
Al Nahyan, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister.
These
discussions follow pledges made by Minister Adam and the new Seychelles
Ambassador to the UAE, Mr. Dick Esparon, to strengthen existing ties and
cooperation’s, which the Ambassador described as marking a new era of
in bilateral relations between the two nations.
“Seychelles
foreign policy has grown and evolved into an active economic diplomacy
that recognizes that we cannot just wait for the world to come to us. We
must reach out to the world… And we believe there is no better place to
start than in Abu Dhabi,” said Minister Adam.
In the
meeting with Sheik Abdullah, the two ministers exchanged views on
measures that need to be taken to resolve the situation in Somalia.
Minister Adam also took the opportunity to thank the UAE for its support
in the fight against piracy, notably through the recent donation of a
state of the art Coastguard base and radar system that would better
allow the patrol and surveillance of Seychelles waters.
The two
Ministers also discussed a special conference on Somalia and on piracy
that the UAE will be organizing in Dubai in 2012 to further raise funds
for the fight against piracy, and to strengthen nation building efforts
within Somalia.
In the
meeting, both Ministers reiterated their joint commitment to continue to
prosecute pirates, as a key aspect of ending the impunity associated
with the crime. The UAE has already arrested and prosecuted a number of
Somali pirates.
In addition
to piracy, the Ministers also discussed the future widening of
cooperation in renewable energy, following from the President’s meeting
with the CEO of MASDAR. Minister Adam highlighted, that the potential
for investment in renewable energy in Seychelles would be an example of
public private partnerships.
During his
inaugural remarks at the new Seychelles Embassy, the Minister described
the UAE engagement with renewable energy as visionary:
“All
countries that believe in sustainable development must look seriously
towards fast tracking investments in renewable energy to be able to
contribute to the global effort to reduce emissions. Despite being an
oil producer, the UAE has displayed a long term vision which is
exemplary in this regard, through the creation of MASDAR city- which
will be the world’s first carbon neutral city.
“Our
government is in the process of passing new legislation that will
empower the independent production of renewable energy in a cost
effective manner. The new legislation will also facilitate the creation
of commercial business driven models. We firmly believe that renewable
energy can create new opportunities for growth in this time of global
distress, and the cooperation between our two countries can serve as an
instigator of successful models that can be replicated elsewhere.”
In the
meeting with the Interior Minister, HH Sheik Saif Bin Zayed Al
Nahyan, Minister Adam pursued the discussions on a future agreement on
visa waivers for Seychelles nationals visiting the UAE which has been
ongoing between the ministry and the UAE Embassy.
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