Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves left St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Thursday for a two-week official visit to Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, off East Africa.
The prime minister will be accompanied by Jinelle Adams, minister
counsellor in the Office of the SVG High Commission to the United Kingdom, the office of the prime minister said on Thursday.
During his stay-over in London, Gonsalves will meet with several potential investors, and will hold a town hall event for Vincentians in the United Kingdom, a terse statement said.
Would this be another begging trip, a country asses selling trip or a world problem solving trip? Do we know? Are we privy to the real reason for this jaunt?
And who’s paying for it?
Back in 2015 India reached an agreement with the Seychelles for its own military and last year’s News report was that India was scheduled to build a major military facility in the Seychelles amid growing Chinese influence in the region. It was reported in February 2018 that insecurities had deepen in Delhi after Beijing inaugurated an overseas base near one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes in Djibouti.
Therefore, last year in January 2018 India had signed a 20year pact with the Seychelles Government to build an airstrip and a jetty for its navy on Assumption Island, the question is, was the Seychelles Government playing a double game at the time with the Chinese and India.
Moreover, News reports last year August was that China had written Off U.S.$5.5 Million Loan to that country in order to reduce Seychelles’ Debt Load. The Chinese government had written off a loan to Seychelles worth 37,816,400 renminbi — or $5.5 million — after an agreement aimed at supporting Seychelles’ economy and reducing its debt load.
According to the then press communique at the time from the Seychelles ministry, the loans from the Chinese government were for the provision of economic and technical cooperation.
In the circumstance, we must ask what is the true purpose of Ralph Gonsalves visit to this nation that is at the centre of India/China diplomatic and strategic tussle? What therefore is Ralph Gonsalves really getting up to here and will Vincentians ever know, after all, the Seychelles over the years have been big recipients of Chinese financial assistance with questions now being raised about Chinese naval facilities in the state?
GLOBE IN GEOPOLITICAL FLUX . . .
With the DECLINE OF THE GREAT BRITISH EMPIRE and the INCREASING WITHDRAWAL OF THE USA, these little nations and strategic regions are UP FOR GRABS.
NOW, we are seeing and will see, PROVE, if the TIME OF THE ANGLO-SAXONS was really GOOD FOR THIS WORLD.
GET ready for even more international chaos and madness . . . and beastly madmen/’leaders’.