Cablegate: Stability in Afghanistan Key for Seychelles

VZCZCXRO9356
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMA RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHPL #0400 3411238
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 071238Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY PORT LOUIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4876
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS PORT LOUIS 000400

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL AF PK SE
SUBJECT: STABILITY IN AFGHANISTAN KEY FOR SEYCHELLES

REF: A. SECSTATE 122731
B. SECSTATE 122234
C. SECSTATE 123222

1. (SBU) On December 2, Charge Walkley personally discussed
reftel A points with Seychelles President James Michel. The
CDA stated that the Al-Qaeda planning for September 11 came
out of Afghanistan and that the stability in Afghanistan is a
matter of international security. Michel agreed, adding that
stability in Afghanistan is crucial. The CDA also delivered
reftel points to Jean-Paul Adam, Principal Secretary for the
Office of the President, who echoed the president by noting
that because the economy of the Seychelles is increasingly
linked to the Middle East, stability in Afghanistan is
critical to the Indian Ocean region.

2. (U) President Obama's reftel policy speech was not widely
covered in the Seychelles media. The Seychelles Broadcasting
Corporation (SBC) broadcast limited excerpts on radio and TV
on the evening of December 2, with dubbing in Creole and
French. There was no newspaper coverage to date.

3. (U) In anticipation of the President's speech, Embassy
Public Affairs posted on its Seychelles Virtual Presence Post
(SVPP) website a weblink to the speech on America.gov. A
press release announcing the date and time of the President's
speech was sent in advance to all Seychelles media.
Immediately following the first broadcast of the speech, a
weblink was established on the SVPP website and links also
were established to the Afghanistan policy webchats at
America.gov.
WALKLEY

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