President of the Republic of Seychelles, H.E James Alix Michel will be paying an official visit to Vietnam on August 28-29, 2013. On this occasion, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) will host the Seychelles - Vietnam Business Forum. Ahead of the event, Vietnam Business Forum interviewed Mr Philippe Le Gall, Non- Resident Ambassador for Seychelles to Vietnam on the cooperation relations and prospect for a stronger business and commercial links between the two countries. An An reports.
Vietnam and Seychelles established diplomatic relations on August 16, 1979. Could you please tell us about the development of the relationship between the two countries since then?
It started very well as Seychellois President France-Albert René visited Vietnam in 1980 and a few years later a technical cooperation agreement was signed between the two countries and Seychelles benefited from high level technical assistance from Vietnam in Agriculture and Fisheries in the early 90s.
Then both countries had to focus on their national development agenda. Unfortunately, at that time Seychelles had no Ambassador accredited to Vietnam and after the Vietnamese Embassy in Madagascarwas closed around 20 years ago, no Vietnamese Ambassador was accredited to Seychelles.
Since my own accreditation in 2009 as the first non-resident Ambassador of Seychelles to Vietnam I have been trying – with the help of my Vietnamese colleague in Beijing - to revitalize our exchanges.
It was, as you may imagine, very encouraging when Seychelles’ Minister of Foreign Affairs signed a new agreement for cooperation in Hanoi in 2010 in the margin of the Vietnam-Africa Forum on Cooperation for sustainable development. We had signed earlier a Double Taxation Avoidance Treaty and I think the two countries are ready now to move from a phase of cordial diplomatic relations to a phase of dynamic and profitable relations of friendship and cooperation.
How do you expect the coming visit of the President of the Republic of Seychelles is going to contribute to this relationship?
My President has always supported Seychelles’ “Look East” Policy, even before we opened our Embassy in Beijing in 2007 and he has also initiated our “Look South East” policy. The fact that Seychelles is anticipating the consequences of the ASEAN integration as an economic entity in 2015 shows that you may be a small country in the middle of an ocean and still think big and global !
I am sure that the Presidential visit organized in Vietnam will add a strong political momentum to the willingness of the two sides, and in particular the business communities in Seychelles and Vietnam, to build strong commercial links between the two countries.
It will also show to the rest of ASEAN member countries that Seychelles has the motivation and the potential to be one of the most cost-effective access gates to Africa.
I am therefore confident in the very concrete and result-oriented outcome of this Presidential visit coinciding with the signing of a number of bilateral agreements that will make it much easier for businessmen in Vietnam and Seychelles to work efficiently together.
Would you please tell us about the bilateral cooperation in trade and investment? What should the two countries do to boost this cooperation?
We have not been doing a lot of business together in the recent years so the trade figures are not impressive. However the interesting thing about trade between Seychelles and Vietnam is that there is already a favorable legal framework in place. What was missing to a certain extent was the connection between people, and direct and regular flows of information on trade and investment between Seychelles and Vietnam.
I think this Business Forum, the first one between our two countries, will establish the bridges that were missing till now and the next step is definitely field trips by Vietnamese businessmen to take the full measure of what Seychelles has to offer in terms of incentives and business opportunities and what lays beyond, I mean the African market as Seychelles has excellent also relations and convenient air links with South Africa, Kenya and Ethiopia as well as other island countries of the South West of the Indian Ocean.
What do you comment on the prospect for other areas of cooperation?
Let me stress again that the Official Visit is paving the way for such cooperation as it puts the two countries on the same map as two maritime nations and two trading nations. Once the Seychellois better know Vietnam and once the Vietnamese better know Seychelles both sides will fully understand that the conditions to make business together in a mutually beneficial way exist and it is then a matter of moving ahead.
Please note that we are also in the process of appointing an Honorary Consul of Seychelles in Hanoi and this means a permanent office in Vietnam to promote Seychelles economic interests and, at the same time, advise the Vietnamese business community on the best opportunities existing in Seychelles.
What do you expect VCCI to do to enhance the cooperation between the two countries?
I think VCCI is doing a lot by hosting and co-organizing this forum and I am really thankful to Dr Vu Tien Loc, who proposed this cooperation between us. I would like also to express my gratitude to the International Relations Department of VCCI for having been so helpful in making all arrangements for the Forum. This is a first step in the right direction and I hope that VCCI will also assist us in organizing a visit to Seychelles by a delegation of Vietnamese businessmen.
Remember that Vietnamese do not need a visa or any vaccination to enter Seychelles. Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as Seychelles Investment Board will reciprocate VCCI’s hospitality and organize in Seychelles the right platform of meetings and discussions with local business community to ensure that the visit is fruitful and also most pleasant.
Vietnamese
