Independence Day of the United States of America |31 August 2013

Never too late to celebrate the might of America!

On July 4 the United States of America celebrated the 237th anniversary of its independence. As it is surely never too late to celebrate the political, economic, military and other successes brought about by the American Independence and which has since influenced the trajectory of the whole world, Seychelles waited until Tuesday this week and the stopover in Port Victoria of the landing dock ship USS Carter Hall to mark the event.

This was done on the ship’s deck in the form of a toast offered by the American ambassador Shari Villarosa to what she termed as “the wonderful people of the beautiful Seychelles and friends of the United States”.

The ceremony was attended by former President James Mancham, Designated Minister Vincent Meriton, chief justice Fredrick Egonda-Ntende and other judges, members of the diplomatic corps and invited guests.

Welcoming the guests on board his ship, the commanding officer of the USS Carter Hall, Commander Greg Blyden, said the 640 crew members of sailors and marines were very happy to be in Seychelles in order to enjoy the local hospitality and perfect weather.

He however stressed that the purpose of their visit was more importantly to renew the working partnership between the U.S.’ and Seychelles’ military forces, which according to him, “is the cornerstone of continued peace and stability both at sea and ashore”.

Offering the toast, Ms Villarosa pointed out that Seychelles is one of her country’s main partners and was thankful to the country’s efforts in maintaining the good bilateral cooperation.

“Seychelles is truly a major partner of the United States and we are particularly very appreciative of what you have done in the maritime sector,” she said.

Representing Minister for Foreign Affairs Jean-Paul Adam who was on overseas mission, Minister Meriton conveyed the warmest congratulations of the government and people of Seychelles to President Barrack Obama and the American people on the occasion of their Independence Day anniversary.

He said it was not just a day to remember how the American nation was born, but also an opportunity to celebrate the spirit that has defined their history and influence their trajectory as one of the most advanced economies of the world.

Speaking on the long history of cooperation, excellent partnership and friendship between the United States and Seychelles and which he hopes will continue, the minister was recognisant of the United States’ contribution to the socio-economic development of Seychelles, especially in the maritime sector:

“In particular, the U.S. has proven itself to be a dependable partner in the fight against maritime piracy, a problem which continues to plague our region. However, with the generous support of countries such as the U.S., Seychelles now finds itself in a stronger position to defend its seas – our blue economy,” he said.

After she has been conducting exercises in Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Djibouti and Jordan, the USS Carter Hall, which is escorted by the destroyer USS Bainbridge, will remain docked in port Victoria for some more days before moving on to other operations in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman. The landing ship dock type ship (LSD) or landing craft is a helicopter and heavy equipment carrier including military vehicles, permitting her to carry out operations such as deterring piracy, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, rescue operations, among others.