EU Navfor commander calls on President Michel |06 March 2015

Major General Martin Smith, the operation commander of the EU Naval Force (EU Navfor) Operation Atalanta, the European Union’s contribution to counter piracy operations in the Indian Ocean, yesterday morning paid a courtesy call on President James Michel at State House.

Major General Smith was accompanied on the visit by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Transport Joel Morgan, the British high commissioner Lindsay Skoll and the outgoing French ambassador to Seychelles Geneviève Iancu.

Also there were the President’s diplomatic advisor, Ambassador Callixte D’Offay; the military attaché to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lieutenant Colonel Georges Adeline; and EU Navfor political advisor, Jean Heilbronn.

In a statement issued after the meeting, President Michel thanked the EU Navfor for the wide-ranging support it provides to Seychelles in the fight against piracy, and expressed his satisfaction that the EU Navfor mandate has been extended to the end of 2016.

“Maritime security is our common good and an element of our collective human security for the stability of our region. It is important for island and coastal states of the Indian Ocean region to take ownership of our shared maritime safety and security, to depend on ourselves, and in collaboration with our international partners, bring about peace and security to the region,” the statement quoted President Michel as saying.

President Michel said that Seychelles will continue to do its utmost, with the development of its human resource capacity and other resources, to ensure the ocean space becomes once again an area of prosperity; for the Blue Economy to prosper as the maritime security is enabled.

In an interview with the media after the meeting, Major General Smith commended the leadership role that Seychelles has played in the fight against piracy, especially in the legal prosecution of pirates.

Major General Smith described the talks he had with the Seychellois head of State as “useful and productive”.
“We discussed the future, more specifically how  we are going to utilise the fact that my EU  mandate has been extended to the end of 2016 to progress counter piracy in the region,” Major General Smith said.

He pointed out that although piracy activities have reduced considerably, the threat still remains and we need to remember that piracy continues on land in Somalia and that may take some time to counter.

“The fact that the EU has extended its operations is a clear sign that it sees itself remaining in the counter piracy domain in the Indian Ocean. We will support regional states and set up a regional maritime security strategy which will eventually allow the region to continue to provide security for itself,” he added.

“This may take some time but we will support you,” Major General Smith pointed out.

 “The legal instruments that you have set up have led the region in this particular regard. They have allowed us to properly prosecute the pirates whom we have detained and this has been an extremely important part in the fight against piracy,” he added.

Major General Smith took command of the EU Navfor at the end of August last year.