Seychelles and USA sign historic Air Transport Agreement

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Transport of the Republic of Seychelles, Mr. Joël Morgan, and the Ambassador of the United States of America to the Republic of Seychelles, H.E. Shari Villarosa have signed the Air Transport Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Seychelles and the Government of the United States of America, held this date, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Transport.

Initialed by both Governments in December 2012, the document consists of the first Air Transport Agreement to be signed between Seychelles and the United States of America, and is the first Open Skies agreement which Seychelles signs with an international partner. It is to be noted that the Government of the United States of America presently has 27 Open Skies partners in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Seychelles.

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Transport, Joel Morgan remarked that this historic agreement would herald a new wave of cooperation between the two countries based on facilitation of tourism and trade between the two countries.

Ambassador Villarosa opined “The Agreement that we sign today is pro-consumer, pro-competition, and pro-growth…By signing this Open Skies agreement, our governments further strengthen our bilateral ties which facilitate future trade and tourism between Seychelles and the United States”.

Per information received, “the U.S. international aviation policy is based on enabling marketplace competition to expand worldwide air services through Open Skies agreements. The Open Skies agreements establish liberal ground rules designed to facilitate growth of an efficient, market-based international aviation system with enhanced potential for increasing commercial and business exchanges, investment, exports, and tourism. Growth in aviation also benefits the broader economy and promotes integration with the world economy.”

Ambassador Villarosa further noted that “the United States also believes that an Open Skies regime offers the best environment for developing markets to attract additional air services for the benefit of travelers, shippers, tourism…This Agreement encompasses not only passenger air service, but also cargo.”