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In an Interview with Diplomacy and Beyond Plus: His Excellency Ambassador Barry Faure, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Seychelles

  1. Excellency, tell us about your experience visiting India with Seychelles President Hn’ble Danny Faure.

For both President Danny Faure and myself, this was not our first visit to India but it was the first State Visit of the President. It was an incredible experience as we had the chance to visit not only Delhi for the official program but also places like Goa, Ahmedabad and Dehradun. We met a number of Seychellois Police officers who were on a short training at the Gujarat Forensic Science University. At Dehradun, we were able to visit the National Forest Academy which is an impressive institution. Throughout our visit, we have been amazed by the vibrant culture and wonderful hospitality of the Indian people.  India really is a beautiful country and we felt quite at home there.

  1. Hon’ble Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs, India recently met the Seychelles President Hon’ble Danny Faure in New Delhi and gifted a second Dornier Aircraft to Seychelles. How do you perceive the importance of this exchange?

It was a timely gift on the occasion of the National Day of Seychelles, and it demonstrated in a very concrete way the strategic partnership which exists between our two countries. This second aircraft will assist Seychelles in surveillance of its vast EZZ and will be useful in supporting us in maritime security operations. The first Dornier -228 Maritime aircraft was handed over to Seychelles on 31st January 2013 and this has supported us immensely in various operations undertaken by the Seychelles People’s Defence Forces (SPDF).

  1. What is your message to the readers of our magazine Diplomacy and Beyond Plus?

The articles in ‘Diplomacy and Beyond’ are of the highest standards. They are very analytical, looking at issues from different perspectives. I would like to congratulate you on this.

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