An example of small islands cooperation: Seychelles and Palau formalize future collaboration

Victoria, Seychelles | June 30, 2015, Tuesday @ 14:51 in National » DIPLOMACY | By: Sharon Uranie | Views: 254

Two agreements - a General Cooperation agreement and visa waiver agreement have been signed between Seychelles and Palau following  between Seychelles President James Michel and Palau's President Tommy Remengesau. (Mervyn Marie, Seychelles News Agency) 

Photo license  

• 
  

(Seychelles News Agency) - The island states of Seychelles and Palau are set on forging closer ties and strengthening their newly-established diplomatic relations.

This follows the signing Tuesday morning of a General Cooperation Agreement and a Short Stay Visa Waiver Agreement between the two countries which seeks to allow bilateral cooperation between the two sides in several areas.

The agreements were signed by the Seychelles Minister of Foreign Affairs and Transport Joel Morgan and Palau’s Ambassador to the United States of America, Hersey Kyota.

Kyota is part of the four-member delegation which the Palauan President Tommy Esang Remengesau is leading on his official visit to Seychelles.

The signing followed a tête-à-tête between President Remengesau and Seychelles President James Michel at State House in the Seychelles capital of Victoria, after which they were joined by officials of their two countries for further discussions.

In a press statement issued this afternoon, State House said talks between Michel and Remengesau centred on their respective countries' progress in various sectors, namely fisheries, aviation, tourism, environmental protection, renewable energy, economic reforms and wider issues of sustainable development.

Seychelles Minister of Foreign Affairs and Transport Joel Morgan and Palau’s Ambassador to the United States of America, Hersey Kyota exchanging documents after the signing ceremony. (Mervyn Marie, Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY

Seychelles and Palau only established formal diplomatic ties earlier this year, although the two heads of states have enjoyed close relations for a number of years.

Michel and Remengesau were the ones who called for the setting up of the Global Island Partnership (GLISPA) in January 2005 during the second International Meeting of the Small Island Developing States held in the neighbouring Indian Ocean island of Mauritius.

GLISPA is an open and voluntary platform for all islands and their supporters to work together to build resilient and sustainable island communities through innovative partnerships.

Both Palau and Seychelles are also members of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).

On his first visit to Seychelles, Remengesau was also the guest of honour at yesterday’s National Day Celebrations.

In a press statement issued by State House this afternoon following this morning's meeting, Michel described Remengesau’s visit to the Indian Ocean archipelago of 115 islands as "a historic milestone" in the relations between the two countries. 

“His presence amongst us is not only an opportunity for him to share in our festivities, to share our joy and achievements as a nation, but also an occasion to celebrate and strengthen even further the strong island kinship between our two brotherly countries and between islands everywhere,” said Michel.

According to the statement, the two leaders have agreed that “the close cooperation between Seychelles and Palau that is planned in the future” will be an example of collaboration between individual small island developing states adding that Seychelles and Palau will encourage such cooperation between other island nations.

“This type of cooperation should be replicated in the Post-2015 era if small island countries or as we say ‘large ocean states’ are to benefit to the maximum from the implementation of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Change agreement as well as the SAMOA PATHWAY,” said Michel.

Seychelles President James Michel (left) welcoming President Tommy Remengesau on his arrival at State House this morning. (Mervyn Marie, Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY

For the Palauan president, the visit represents an opportunity which will allow the two island nations to share experiences and learn from each other’s best practices considering they face similar challenges.  

“…I am reminded that we share the same values; that the development of a nation rests on the benefits it can bring to the people and that sustainability is at the heart of our island nations. We seek to continue to bring the same message of island people to the world community and work together in close collaboration,” said Remengesau.

The Palauan President will leave Seychelles on Wednesday July 1.

During his stay, he is also paying close attention to restoration of eroded coastlines due to climate change in Seychelles which is a similar challenge faced by Palau. This is through visits to several sites in the Seychelles where such projects have been undertaken.

Palau consists of over 200 islands, out of which only eight are permanently inhabited. The western Pacific islands have a much smaller population size of only around 21,000 people when compared to Seychelles’ population of around 90,000.

Palau which is close to Southeast Asia has a rather mixed population of Malay, Melanesian, Filipino, and Polynesian ancestry. It is believed that its original settlers as early as 2500 BC were from Indonesia.

The Palau islands remained under Spanish ownership for many years before Spain sold them to Germany in 1899. The islands were also occupied by Japan during the World War 1 and the US during the World War 2.

Palau became independent in 1994.

- See more at: http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/3241#sthash.H8UcVJg8.dpuf

Read More

President Michel opens ‘Leve Debrouye’ Micro-Enterprise Complex

President Michel opens ‘Leve Debrouye’ Micro-Enterprise Complex

Sat, 27 June 2015

President James Michel opened the new ‘Leve Debrouye’ Micro-Enterprise Complex at Providence Industrial Estate yesterday.

The opening was attended by Vice-President Danny Faure, the Minister for Finance, Trade and the Blue Economy, Mr. Jean-Paul Adam, the Minister for Health, Mrs. Mitcy Larue, Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture, Mr. Wallace Cosgrow, the Minister for Tourism and Culture, Mr. Alain St Ange, the Minister for Land Use and Housing, Mr. Christian Lionnet, the Minister for Investment, Entrepreneurship Development and Business Innovation, Mr. Michael Benstrong, the CEO of the Providence Industrial Estate, Vic Tirant, the acting Chief Justice D. Karunakaran, the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly David Pierre, the Chief of Defence Forces Brigadier Leopold Payet, President of the Court of Appeal Francis MacGregor, members of the National Assembly and other dignitaries.

During the official opening, Minister Michael Benstrong said the Providence Industrial Estate received another asset which will go a long way in the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

He said the country continues to witness more and more innovative ideas as Seychellois entrepreneurs, especially the younger generation, continue to adopt and apply new technology in the way of doing business.

“This ‘Micro-Enterprise Complex” under the theme ‘Leve Debrouye’ marks another big step forward in our progress towards the development of small and medium emterpises in our country,” said Minister Benstrong.

He also noted the obstacles of starting up a business like access to credit or financial assistance, rental in the private sector which is exorbitant.

He described the ‘Micro-Enterprise Complex’ as concrete evidence that the government, under the leadership of the President, has recognised the concerns and calls of the small businesses and has responded to them.

The project started in 2013 and has been financed by the Social Security Fund (now the Welfare Protection Agency) at a cost of R40 million and has 59 workshops and offices. These will be rented out to small businesses in such activities as craft, tailoring, equipment repair like air conditioning, solar panels, small scale food preparation and offices that provide professional services.

The government has plans to construct other such buildings on Ile du Port and at Anse Boileau. Praslin and La Digue will also benefit and parcels of land have already been identified there.

Read More

Nairobi Convention: Seychelles has ‘embraced sustainability’, says UNEP Executive Director

Victoria, Seychelles | June 24, 2015, Wednesday @ 12:22 in Environment » GENERAL | By: Hajira Amla and John Lablache | Views: 600

Ecexutive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Dr Achim Steiner, met with Seychelles President James Michel at State House on Tuesday. (Mervyn Marie, Seychelles News Agency)

Photo license  

•  2
• Google +0
•  7
• Send to Kindle

The Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Dr Achim Steiner, has hailed the 115-island archipelago of Seychelles’ commitment towards the sustainable management of its resources.

“The challenge of sustainability is one that the Seychelles has embraced and this is also the heart of the mission of the United Nations Environment Programme, so we are not only historical partners but even more excited and keen partners for the future,” he told members of the local press on Tuesday.

Steiner paid a courtesy visit to Seychelles President James Michel at State House, situated in the archipelago’s capital of Victoria as part of his programme during the Nairobi Convention for Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Western Indian Ocean.

The Nairobi Convention, which was adopted here in Seychelles 30 years ago, marked the anniversary with the 8th Conference of Parties (COP8) in very the same country in which it began.

The members of the Nairobi Convention range from the Horn of Africa to the continent’s southernmost tip and spans out into the western Indian Ocean, including Comoros, France (through its department island of Reunion) Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania and South Africa, all of which were represented at the opening ceremony at the Savoy Hotel on the beach resort of Beau Vallon in the northern area of the Seychelles' main island of Mahe on Tuesday.

The Convention started off in 1985 with two protocols, one concerning cooperation in combatting marine pollution in the Eastern Africa region and the other related to protected areas for wild fauna and flora. The protocols were later revised and a new protocol on the protection of the coastal and marine environments from landbased sources and activities was added.

The 8th Conference of Parties of the Nairobi Convention saw the Seychelles Minister for Environment and Energy, Didier Dogley, take over the rotational chairmanship of the Convention from Tanzania for the next two years.

Low-lying islands and coastal zones of the Seychelles archipelago could face disastrous effects if carbon emission targets to curtail climate change are not met in UN conference to be held in Paris at the end of this year. (Gerard Larose, Seychelles Tourism Board) Photo license: CC BY-NC

One of the healthiest marine zones

Dogley said the Western Indian Ocean is host to a wide range of biologically and ecologically significant areas, veritably teeming with life.

"It is home to one of the largest seagrass beds, thousands of kilometres of productive coastline and many underwater structures and seamounts. All these, coupled with the current of the Mozambique Channel, renders the Western Indian Ocean very rich in fauna, flora and marine resources."

Also speaking at the opening ceremony, Steiner had described the Western Indian Ocean, "one of the healthiest marine zones in the world".

He remarked however, that it can be affected by environmental pressures such as coral bleaching, pollution, overfishing and maritime transport.

In an op-ed published by SNA on Tuesday, Steiner and Dogley had said the western Indian Ocean remained one of the least polluted marine areas in the world due to the foresight of its regional leaders.

Dogley also spoke of the need for more research and awareness of what lies beneath the surface of the ocean, saying that without adequate data and interpretation, no management or preventative actions could be taken.

“Our understanding basically ends at the beach, or some of us maybe if we go fishing, we will understand how to catch a fish, but what is really happening deep down we have limited knowledge,” he said.

Dogley expressed hope that the climate change conference in Paris at the end of this year would produce a new binding agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol and "save us from the brink of disaster."

He saluted Pope Francis' encyclical released last week on ecology and climate change.

"Planet Earth needs all the champions it can get. So let us hope other major religious leaders will follow his example,” he added.

The Seychelles Minister for Environment, Energy and Climate Change, Didier Dogley, speaking at the opening ceremony of the Nairobi Convention's 8th Conference of Parties. (Louis Toussaint, Seychelles News Agency) Photo license: CC-BY

Creating bigger marine reserves

In order to enable the implementation of the Blue Economy concept, which focuses on the sustainable management of the ocean’s resources, Seychelles is currently in the process of completing a climate change adaptation debt swap initiative, which includes the development of a countrywide Marine Spatial Plan (MSP) for its entire Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Dogley told the delegates that the debt swap’s locally-managed trust fund will finance the MSP, which will protect an area covering 30 percent of Seychelles' almost 1.4 million square kilometres of EEZ.

In an interview with SNA in June 2014, Dogley had noted that presently only 1 percent of Seychelles' EEZ are protected as no-take zones, way below the minimum of 17 percent set by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

The main ones are around the Ste Anne group of islands, about 3 km from Victoria, Bay Ternay off Mahe' western coast and around Curieuse Island, near Praslin.

Delegates from ten countries were present at the COP8 meeting's opening, held at the Savoy Hotel in the Seychelles. (Louis Toussaint, Seychelles News Agency) Photo license: CC-BY

UNEP 'ready to collaborate' on Blue Economy concept

During Steiner’s visit to State House, he and President Michel discussed issues of mutual interest and areas of cooperation in renewable energy and the Blue Economy concept, and the President wished all the parties a successful outcome for the convention.

"It is a pleasure to have you with us and we are looking forward to having a fruitful exchange,” the President was quoted as saying in a press statement released on Tuesday. “It will be an opportunity for you to see yourself what we are trying to do here in Seychelles, of course we still have a lot of improvements to make, it is not always easy to try and establish the proper balance between development and the management of the environment. But, we try to do the best that we can and we need a lot of support also, in terms of capacity building, training expertise as we try to innovate and plan our strategy on how we can move forward.”

Steiner was accompanied to the meeting by the Executive Secretary for the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Convention, Professor Rolph Payet, who was also the Seychelles’ former Minister of Environment before taking up his current post in 2014.

Steiner told journalists that UNEP was ready to collaborate and help the Seychelles government in developing the Blue Economy concept further and investigate future opportunities for jobs as well as the potential to help the Seychelles develop further in the fields of renewable energy, fisheries and tourism.

The outgoing Executive Director, who still has around a year left before he vacates his post, says his future is “written in the stars”, but that there was still much to be accomplished in the coming year before he vacates his current post.

“I have not only a great deal of focus on this year, 2015, with the major conference in New York that will adopt sustainable development goals, the climate change conference in December, and then next year, in my last month will be the second United Nations Environment Assembly, and beyond that, no plans yet!”

The COP8 meetings will continue until the end of this week, ending with the convention’s final recommendations and closing statements on Friday.

- See more at: http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/3200#sthash.VqKSZjxP.dpuf

Read More

Crisis deepens as Greek central bank warns of euro exit

A man pases by an uninhabited building painted with a 'O Euro' graffiti on it on May 19, 2015 in Athens. Greece's new radical Syriza-led government and its EU-IMF creditors have been stuck in a deadlock for four months over the reforms needed to release a final 7.2 billion euros ($8.2 billion) in bailout funds. (AFP/Louisa Gouliamaki)

Photo license  Purchase photo

• 
  

(AFP) - The Greek central bank warned for the first time on Wednesday that the country could suffer a "painful" exit from the eurozone and even the EU if it fails to reach a bailout deal with international creditors.

The warning came as negotiations over the release of the last 7.2 billion euros ($8.1 billion) in rescue funds from Greece's massive international bailout remained deadlocked, with payment deadlines looming.

All eyes are on a meeting of the 19 eurozone countries to take place Thursday in Luxembourg, but several officials including Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said they were not expecting a breakthrough in the cash-for-reforms standoff there either. 

Asked during a visit to Paris whether he thought an accord could be reached at the meeting of eurozone finance ministers in Luxembourg, he said late Wednesday: "I don't think so. Now it is up to political leaders to arrive at an accord."

In a sign the EU's top financial brass are seriously considering the implications of a "Grexit", the head of Germany's central bank, Jens Weidmann, said it would "change the character of the monetary union" -- but not destroy it. 

And underscoring growing global concern about the crisis, US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen warned the world economy could see significant turmoil if Greece and its creditors failed to do a deal.

"This is a very difficult situation. In the event that there is not agreement I do see the potential for disruptions that could affect the European economic outlook and global financial markets," Yellen said.

- 'Incomprehensible' - 

Elected on an anti-austerity platform in January, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras warned Wednesday that an EU "fixation" on pension cuts would scupper any hopes of reaching an agreement to avert a catastrophic default.

Tsipras said his government had gone as far as it could to meet the demands of the International Monetary Fund, European Union and European Central Bank for tax hikes and pension reform.

"There is no room for further cuts without affecting the core of the (pension) system," Tsipras said after meeting with visiting Austrian Chancellor Werner Feymann, one of the few European leaders supporting Greece in the talks.

"If Europe insists on this incomprehensible fixation... it must accept the cost of a development that will benefit no one in Europe."

In one of the starkest warnings from a Greek institution, the Bank of Greece said failure to reach an agreement would start "a painful course that would lead initially to a Greek default and ultimately to the country's exit from the euro area and -– most likely -– from the European Union".

Leaving the single currency would lead to a deep recession, dramatic declines in incomes and a spike in unemployment in the southern European nation, the bank said.

Greek bank deposits had already dropped by nearly 30 billion euros between December and April, to 128 billion euros, it said.

On the other side of the fence, Bundesbank chief Weidmann warned that while failure to reach a deal would cause some contagion, the eurozone did not depend on Greece. 

"A Grexit could change the character of the monetary union," he said in an interview with French, Italian and Spanish media. "But this also changes when individual countries do not live up to their responsibilities to ensure a stable currency."

Responsibility for Greece's future lies entirely with its government, he said, adding that the consequences of it leaving the euro "would be hard to control" for Athens.

The Athens stock exchange fell 3.15 percent on Wednesday, its fourth straight day in the red.

- 'Democracy, Not Blackmail' - 

As the clock ticked down to key June 30 repayment deadlines, the head of the Eurogroup, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, said he was still working to keep Greece within the fold.

But the mounting pressure has frayed tempers, illustrated by a public falling out in recent days between Tsipras and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker, who has accused the Greek premier of misleading Greek voters about the talks.

Both men briefly spoke by phone on Wednesday, a European official told AFP, their first contact since Sunday. They agreed to talk again "in coming days", the source added.

Greece is due to make a 1.6 billion euro payment to the IMF at the end of the month, with another 6.7 billion euros due to the ECB in July and August -- payments Greek officials say they cannot afford.

With his creditors saying his reform proposals are insufficient, Tsipras on Tuesday accused creditors of trying to "humiliate" his country.

Polls show most Greeks support the government's negotiating strategy, though its approval rating has steadily fallen.

Some 7,000 people gathered in Athens on Wednesday evening to protest against the creditors' demands for further cuts, police said. In a show of support for the government, protesters carried banners reading: "End Austerity" and "Democracy, Not Blackmail".

Tsipras is set to travel to the St Petersburg International Economic Forum on Thursday and is scheduled to hold talks with President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

Although the Russian government has stressed that Greece has never requested direct financial aid, observers say Tsipras is trying to send a message to Europe that he still has other cards to play.

- See more at: http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/3163/Crisis+deepens+as+Greek+central+bank+warns+of+euro+exit#sthash.wBKxTv3P.dpuf

Read More

President Michel meets his counterpart from Cape Verde during the Summit of the African Union

President Michel meets his counterpart from Cape Verde during the Summit of the African Union

17-June-2015

President James Michel met with hishomologuede the Republic of Cabo Verde, Jorge Carlos Fonseca Dr. sidelines of the Summit of the African Union, which ended Monday. The talks focused on strengthening special relationships between the two countries.The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment and determination to amplify benefit the partnership between the two countries at international level for the benefit of the defense of their insular cause. They welcomed the creation of an alliance of African small island states ministerial level to defend their special advantage in terms of the continent. The question of a possible visit by President Michel in Cabo Verde was raised.

It will be recalled that President Fonseca had made an official visit to the Seychelles there is just a year, on the occasion of the national day then celebrated on June 18

Read More

Spanish ambassador pays farewell call on President

Spanish ambassador pays farewell call on President

17-June-2015

Outgoing Spanish ambassador to Seychelles Miguel Fernàndez-Palacios yesterday paid a farewell call on President James Michel at State House as his three and a half year tenure comes to an end.
Speaking to the press later, Ambassador Fernàndez-Palacios said he had a very interesting meeting with President Michel during which they discussed issues related to bilateral relations between the two countries.

These include the fight against piracy which like Seychelles Spain is very committed to eradicating the scourge in our region.

“We spoke about our joint effort to fight piracy, we discussed issues related to renewable energy and how we could share experiences in this field,” Ambassador Fernàndez-Palacios said.

He noted that a delegation from the Seychelles Public Utilities Corporation (PUC) recently visited Spain to learn more on renewable energy projects there. Ambassador Fernàndez-Palacios said that a Spanish team from the renewable energy sector is expected in Seychelles in the near future to continue discussions with the Seychelles authorities.
Spanish investment in the tourism sector was also discussed.

Ambassador Fernàndez-Palacios described the discussions with President Michel as “very interesting and fruitful” and expressed the hope that “we will continue on this path of partnership and cooperation which is very important for Spain and Seychelles”.

Ambassador Fernàndez-Palacios said he also discussed the fishing cooperation Seychelles and Spain have enjoyed for so many years, noting that even though the threat of piracy had affected tuna fishing for some time now this is picking up again and he reaffirmed the Spanish vessels’ commitment to continue helping in the development of our economy.
Ambassador Fernàndez-Palacios also reaffirmed his country’s commitment to the fight against piracy. 

 A communiqué from State house said President Michel expressed his thanks to Ambassador Fernàndez-Palacios for his nation’s continued support to the Republic of Seychelles especially in the fight against piracy, climate change and the vast contribution Spain brings to the fisheries sector.

“I would like to thank Your Excellency for your personal engagement with Seychelles during your tenure and in particular for further consolidating an already excellent relationship between our two countries. Spain has been essential in Operation Atalanta in ensuring the eradication of the scourge of piracy. Our relations extend far beyond our common security, notably the excellent partnership which we share in fisheries and in our common desire to achieve energy security through alternative sources,” said President Michel during their discussions.

The Spanish ambassador expressed his gratitude to the President for the excellent relations that Spain and Seychelles enjoy and noted that his tenure as ambassador accredited to Seychelles was a particular honour for him.
Ambassador Fernàndez-Palacios was based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
 

Read More

Beauty queen’s project gets President’s support

Beauty queen’s project gets President’s support

17-June-2015

Newly crowned Miss Seychelles … Another World 2015 Linne Freminot has said President James Michel  has promised her his and the government’s  support wherever possible to realise her beauty with a purpose  project  which aims at helping children whose parents are serving prison sentences. 

Miss Freminot said this to the press yesterday afternoon after herself and her two princesses -- Petra Richard and Genevieve Rene -- were received by President Michel at State House.
Miss Freminot said she discussed the different aspects of her project with the President and they also spoke about the forthcoming Miss World beauty pageant at which she will be representing Seychelles and the president has wished her all the luck at this event.

“The President has given me his support and his words of advice which is to be myself and not to change and go out there and make Seychelles proud,” Miss Freminot said.  
Miss Freminot said she was excited and very proud to meet and have a discussion with President Michel and described her meeting as “a great moment”.

The same feeling was echoed by the two princesses. First princess Petra Richard said she really feels honoured to have been received by the President.
“I was really honoured as it was the first time I had a discussion with the President. He encouraged us not to change but to remain ourselves and to remain together and support one another,” Miss Richard said. 

Miss Rene for her part said the President also discussed women’s development and the great strides women in our country have made, their successes and how these are contributing to the country’s development.

“As a young woman who is working in the field of IT, something not many people were expecting, I am really proud and meeting the President really made me feel special in some way. It’s a great achievement for me and I know my family is proud of me,” Miss Rene said.

The two princesses said they will work closely with Miss Freminot to help her reaslise her project.

Read More

President James Michel’s message on Constitution Day

President James Michel’s message on Constitution Day

17-June-2015

‘Moving on in unity, harmony and confidence’

“We will always look for ways to bring all our people closer, because national unity is essential for progress,” President James Michel says in his message on the occasion of Constitution Day which falls tomorrow, June 18.

The full text of  President Michel’s message reads:
“We are celebrating our Constitution Day, a vital event and a landmark in the life of modern Seychelles. It gave us the Third Republic, our beloved, united, peaceful and common home.
“At 22 years old our Third Republic is today on solid foundations. Its democracy vibrant. The economy dynamic. The patriotic flame burning stronger in our hearts.

“Our Constitution is the guarantor of our fundamental human rights and freedoms, from the right to dignity and right to participate in government, to freedom of expression and freedom of movement and association.  It is the set of basic principles and other provisions to which laws and government activities conform for the common good of all. It controls the power of government. It allows for limitations of the rights and freedoms, as may be necessary in a democratic society.

“It defines us as a nation. Part of the preamble of our Constitution says we are aware and proud that as descendants of different races we have learned to live together as one Nation under God and can serve as an example for a harmonious and multi-racial society.  In our Constitution we express our desire to build a just, fraternal and humane society in a spirit of friendship and cooperation with all peoples of the world.

“The Constitution ushered in new symbols – various modern institutions, the inspiring words of our national anthem, the motivating colours of our national flag. These are powerful symbols that rally us to defend our motherland, to defend Seychelles’ honour and strive for her glory wherever we may be.  Symbols that are engraved in our hearts, to proclaim that we share the same homeland, that we are all children of these beautiful islands.

“In our Constitution are values, rights and obligations that link us,that make us a determined and hardworking nation.  Our population may be small, but we have accomplished the goals of big countries. Because our heart is big. With accomplishments and a way of life that have earned us greater respect in the world, that have brought us human dignity and liberty.  Enabled by our Constitution.

“That is why we are today grateful to our Constitution for nurturing the environment that has also given us our unity, democracy, rule of law, good governance, participation in national affairs, development, and aspirations to continually build a better Seychelles. In our country today our elderly citizens are able to live in dignity and comfort. The youth of this country can realistically aspire to accomplish their dreams. We have a strong social conscience which is reflected in our housing, education, health and welfare systems. We have a high level of human development. We are an upper middle income country.

“On the anniversary of the Third Republic we always celebrate the strengthening of our national unity and the New Seychelles. We will always look for ways to bring all our people closer, because national unity is essential for progress. As we aspire for greater accomplishments, we are ever mindful that our Constitution gives every Seychellois the space to make a contribution to our common progress. “Each stage of our progress as a people has contributed to nation-building, reinforcing the feeling that we are united as a country, inspiring the love for our dear Seychelles, fostering of inclusiveness, all our people joining hands on the road to the better future. Every step we have taken, we have proven that we can rise above our differences. That is why we have made great strides in our development.  The adoption of our Constitution was such an important step.  

“We are now building the New Seychelles. A time of new challenges, new commitments.  The time, more than ever before, to derive strength from our differences, to harvest unity from our diversity. To draw lessons from our history.  Moving on, with confidence, towards the future. For our children. And for their children.
“I wish you all a Happy Constitution Day!”

Read More

President meets with Miss Seychelles 2015 and the runner up Princesses.

President meets with Miss Seychelles 2015 and the runner up Princesses.

Tue, 16 June 2015

President James Michel met the recently crowned Miss Seychelles 2015, Linne Freminot, this morning at State House. The first and second princesses, Petra Richard and Geneviève René, respectively, accompanied the Seychelles beauty queen to the meeting with the President.

The President expressed his congratulations to all three ladies and expressed words of encouragement for Ms Freminot who will be representing Seychelles at the upcoming Miss World Beauty Pageant, to be hosted by the People’s Republic of China in the city of Sanya on December 19th. During the meeting, the pageant winners shared their hopes and projects with the President for the coming year.

“You have done our country extremely proud and you will most certainly hoist our nation’s flag up high in the upcoming Miss World Pageant later this year. Miss Seychelles is more than a pageant that portrays the exterior beauty of the contestants. All three of you have shown that you also radiate inner beauty, which is just as important. I wish you all the success you deserve having worked so hard,” said President Michel.

Miss Seychelles, Linne Freminot expressed her will to President Michel to establish a project in Seychelles, whereby children with incarcerated parents are supported and a playground area in the vicinity of the prison is created so that the children and their parents can meet in an environment more conducive to their children’s development.

Having listened to the Pageant winners, President Michel said “women have changed Seychelles and in turn are changing the world for the better. I have just returned form the African Union Summit where I delivered the message that women are the governing force in our societies and are essential for our development trajectory. I see in all three of you driven, headstrong, intelligent and beautiful women prepared to add to this development.”

Also present at the meeting was Minister for Tourism and Culture, Mr. Alain St Ange and the Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Tourism Board, Ms Sherin Naiken.

Read More

Flying to Seychelles from nine Indian cities – Air Seychelles expands Jet Airways codeshare deal

The CEO of Air Seychelles, Manoj Papa (left) signs the expanded codeshare agreement with his Jet Airways counterpart, Cramer Ball (right) (Air Seychelles)

Photo license  

• 
  

(Seychelles News Agency) - The outbound Indian tourism market, one of the largest and fastest-growing in the world, will now find the 115-island archipelago of Seychelles even more easily accessible now that Air Seychelles has expanded its codeshare agreement with India’s Jet Airways.

In a press statement released by Air Seychelles on Tuesday morning, the Seychelles’ national carrier will now offer codeshare flights to the Seychelles from five new major Indian cities; Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Kolkata, in addition to the four existing cities of Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram which were first announced on May 5, bringing the total of Indian cities connected to Seychelles by the codeshare agreement up to nine.

Both Air Seychelles and Jet Airways are strategic partners of Etihad Airways. The Abu-Dhabi based airline giant bought a 40 percent equity stake in Air Seychelles in 2012 and announced a 24 percent stake would be bought in Jet Airways in November 2013.

The Chief Executive Officer of Air Seychelles, Manoj Papa said the codeshare agreement offered guests more flexibility and seamless connections travelling to and from Seychelles.  

“India is projected to grow into one of the world’s largest travel markets and, through our codeshare network with Jet Airways, we are better positioned to drive more tourism traffic to the Seychelles archipelago,” he said.

The additional codeshare destinations, particularly Chennai, are expected to also offer a more attractive choice to residents of the Seychelles travelling for medical treatment.

The Chief Executive Officer of Jet Airways, Cramer Ball, who was the CEO of Air Seychelles before he took up his position with Jet Airways in the beginning of 2014, said the expansion of the codeshare agreement would further strengthen Jet Airways’ partnership with Air Seychelles. 

“Seychelles, with its beaches, coral reefs, nature reserves and rare wildlife has great appeal for travellers from India and we will continue to partner with Air Seychelles in enhancing connectivity to this region,” he said.           

Air Seychelles re-commenced flights to Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport on December 3, 2014, a move which seems to be paying off for the airline’s aspirations to establish Seychelles not only as an idyllic tourist destination but also as a regional hub for travellers within the Indian Ocean.

Air Seychelles briefly flew between the nation’s main inhabited island of Mahe and Mumbai in 1995 and again between 1998 and 2005, at one time with a stopover in the Maldives. Both times, the routes were halted due to low occupancy levels. Air Seychelles also halted weekly flight which started in November 2010 between the nation’s main inhabited island of Mahe and Chennai on June 1, 2011.

However, now the national airline is being viewed as a potential hub for people from other regional destinations served by Air Seychelles such as South Africa, Tanzania and Madagascar who are now able to connect through the Seychelles to travel to India and vice versa.

Air Seychelles also codeshares on international flights operated by Jet Airways and Etihad Airways between Abu Dhabi and Mumbai, offering travellers an opportunity to combine a holiday to India or Seychelles with a stopover in the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Tourism from India to Seychelles has seen a boom since flights to Mumbai began, and the Indian Ocean island nation has welcomed enthusiastic visits from Indian actors and celebrities, including ‘Aaja Nachle’ star Kunal Kapoor, who travelled to Seychelles in February to wed his fiancé Naina Bachchan in a romantic and secluded beach ceremony.

At the beginning of this month, Bollywood stars John Abraham and Shruti Haasan arrived in Seychelles to shoot scenes for their latest movie, Rocky Handsome.

So far this year, 2,706 visitors from India arrived in Seychelles, compared to 1,140 in 2014, according to the latest figures from the National Bureau of Statistics, representing an increase of 137 percent.

In total, the island nation welcomes around a quarter of a million tourists each year, and thus far 2015 has seen an increase of 16 percent compared with the previous year.

- See more at: http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/3151#sthash.DxPl0LtR.dpuf

Read More