Among those present to witness the handing over of the gift were President James Michel, Vice-President Danny Faure, chief justice Fredrick Egonda-Ntende, president of the Court of Appeal Francis MacGregor, ministers and chief of defence forces Brigadier Leopold Payet.

Also there was the chief executive of the Seychelles Islands Development Company Glenny Savy whose organisation will run one of the aircraft replacing the Islander – which used to land on small islands but has ceased flying.

Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Paul Adam and Chinese Ambassador Wang Weiguo signed the handover certificate while the president of the plane’s manufacturer Qu Jingwen gave their keys to Mr Adam, who passed them on to one of Seychellois pilots – Yannick Jean – who will be flying one of them on surveillance missions for the Seychelles People’s Defence Forces.

Bishop Denis Wiehe of the Roman Catholic Church and Bishop James Wong of the Anglican Church blessed the aircraft and led prayers asking for God’s protection over the planes during their flights.

President Michel said the handing over was testimony of the special relations existing between Seychelles and China and is an example of the fruits of his government’s active diplomacy which involves building good friendship between our country and others which help in our development.

He said as a small developing nation we need such support from our friendly international partners.

Mr Michel said the two aircraft will be useful in our economic growth as they help in the development of our outer islands and also support our efforts to protect our sovereignty by taking part in the surveillance of our exclusive economic zone.

The aircraft will boost our resources in the fight against piracy, he said.

Mr Wang said the planes are a gift from the people of China as a sign of friendship and cooperation between the two people.
He thanked the China Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (Catic) who made the aircraft, which he described as sturdy, saying many African and Asian countries use the Y12.

“The aircraft adapts to the conditions of simple airstrips,” he said.

He said developing countries like Seychelles and China can mainly overcome today’s challenges through their own joint efforts so the two countries need to strengthen South-South cooperation to support each other.

He expressed confidence that the IDC will use one of the planes in many ways to develop small islands.

Mr Wang said the long and tough negotiations that led to the delivery of the aircraft proved Seychelles and China can achieve a lot through sustained efforts.

Mr Adam said everyone would agree with Chinese President Hu Jintao who characterised the relations between our countries as a model for relations between countries of different sizes and different social systems.

He said our relationship is based on mutual respect, where both sides regard and treat each other as equal partners.

The donation was possible because China believes in our right as a Small Island State to develop, just as China today is developing at an impressive rate, he said.

“The two Y12 aircraft come at an opportune time for Seychelles. We had first opened discussions on the provision of aircrafts from China in 2006 on the basis of a concessional loan. However, as Seychelles has been hit subsequently by the financial crisis and the increased pressures of piracy on the economy, the Government of China recognised how critical such capability is for our development at this time and turned the proposed loan into a grant.

“This generous gesture will always be remembered and appreciated.  I would like to convey once again our immense gratitude to the people and Government of China for this critical support at this time,” he said.

“Now, more than ever, we need a hand from our international partners. One of the Y12 aircraft will be used for surveillance in order to better protect our EEZ from foreign threats, be it pirates, illegal fishing activities and drug smugglers. For this, we are truly grateful to the Government of China.

“The second Y12 aircraft will also go a long way in assisting us in our economic endeavours. The aircraft will improve communications and access between Mahe and the outer Islands, as it provides the IDC with the means to be more efficient, thus creating more opportunities for development, while also protecting our islands.

Vice-President Sun Zhiwei of the Catic said the planes have found a suitable place where they can be very useful.

He said his company will jointly with the IDC take care of the planes throughout the aircraft’s lifespan.

He thanked the governments of the two countries and Mr Wang for helping to make the delivery a reality.
Each of the aircraft can take up to 14 passengers and can fly up to Alphonse.