President Michel ends historic visit to Vietnam
30-August-2013
President James Michel left Hanoi for Seychelles last night after concluding a state visit to Vietnam, during which he and his Vietnamese counterpart Truong Tan Sang agreed to build a Seychelles-Vietnam cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and mutual benefit.
Mr Michel, who began his two-day visit Wednesday, had extensive and in-depth discussions with Mr Sang at the Presidential Palace on Wednesday on major bilateral and regional issues.
Speaking to the media, President Michel described his visit to Vietnam as historic.
“Vietnam is an active member of Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) which represents an important economic force. Seychelles and Vietnam have a good relation. Like Seychelles, Vietnam has gone through economic and political reforms over the years and Seychelles sees Vietnam as a gateway to this region while Vietnam sees Seychelles as a gateway to Africa,” said President Michel.
“Like Vietnam, Seychelles has adopted a market economy, positioning itself well to integrate the world economy. We have agreed to further push forward the positive, cooperative and comprehensive Seychelles-Vietnam relationship and this visit has given us the opportunity to put in place the right framework and through the memoranda of understanding signed we are now able to improve our collaboration with Vietnam,” added Mr Michel.
On the last day of his visit yesterday, Mr Michel attended the opening ceremony of the Seychelles-Vietnam business forum under the theme ‘Fostering Economic Partnerships.
Organised by the Seychelles’ non-resident ambassador to Vietnam Philippe Le Gal, the Seychelles Investment Board, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industries, the forum took place at the headquarters of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Hanoi.
He then visited the Vietnam Academy of Agriculture Sciences where he took part in discussions and planted a Dimorcarpus longan tree.
Mr Michel’s last call was on Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung at the Government office before making his way to the Noi Bai International Airport where he was seen off by the Leader of the Vietnamese Presidential office, Trung Dao Viet.
Mr Michel was officially welcomed in Vietnam on Wednesday morning by the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Truong Tan Sang.
He attended a state banquet hosted by President Truong Tan Sang at the International Convention Centre and witnessed the signing of five memoranda of understanding on Wednesday.
Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Paul Adam and Labour and Human Resource Development Minister Idith Alexander were part of the presidential delegation which also included Mayor of Victoria Jacqueline Moustache-Belle, senior government officials, representatives of the Seychelles Investment Board, Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority and the private sector.
Text and photos G. G.
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