New Seychelles ambassador to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and the FAO |10 December 2011

In her address to Fra’ Festing, Ms Fock-Tave stressed the value which the government and the people of Seychelles place on the solid relationship between the Republic of Seychelles and the Order of Malta.

“The various donations that are frequently made by the Embassy of the Order to the Ministry of Health and orphanages certainly do not go unnoticed nor unappreciated by the government and people of Seychelles.

“These generous donations have saved many lives and brought smiles on the faces of many children in our small island state. The Order is very much alive and a household name in Seychelles – its emissaries held in high esteem and its work well appreciated by the Seychellois people.”

In his address to the newly accredited Seychelles ambassador, Fra’ Festing expressed the solidarity of the Order with the people of Seychelles for the recent storm which has struck the country.

“Since its independence, the Republic of Seychelles enjoys a high pro capita income, good health care and education and has become not only a well-known tourist destination but also a model of stability in the East African region following the restoration of multi-party democracy.

“The Order of Malta is proud to have contributed during its almost 20 years of activity in the Seychelles to the country’s social and health sectors through the generous humanitarian assistance coordinated by our embassy,” said Fra’ Festing.

In another ceremony, also held in Rome, on November 28, Ms Fock-Tave presented her credentials to Dr Jacques Diouf, the outgoing director general of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), as Seychelles’ permanent representative to the organisation.

Seychelles has been a member of the FAO since 1976 and has since received assistance worth R55 million from the UN organisation.