Seychelles–United States relations

Seychelles-United States relations are bilateral relations between Seychelles and the United States.

History

The year 1963 marked the beginning of an official U.S. presence in Seychelles when the U.S. Air Force Tracking Station was built and put into operation on Mahé. The USAF Tracking Station facilities were situated on land that was leased from the Seychelles Government ($4.5 million annually).

The station's complement consisted of five uniformed Air Force personnel (two officers and three sergeants), 65 employees of Loral Corporation and Johnson Instruments, and 150 Seychellois employees. The USAF Tracking Station officially closed down on September 30, 1996.

Peace Corps Volunteers served in Seychelles between 1974 and 1995. A U.S. consulate was opened in May 1976 and became an Embassy after Seychelles' independence in June 1976. The Embassy was subsequently closed in August 1996, and the United States opened a consular agency on September 2, 1996 to provide services to residents of Seychelles. The agency is under the supervision of the American Embassy in Port Louis, Mauritius. The U.S. Ambassador to Mauritius also is accredited to Seychelles.

Principal U.S. Embassy Officials (all officers resident in Port Louis, Mauritius) include:
* Ambassador--Cesar Cabrera
* Deputy Chief of Mission--Virginia Blaser
* Management Officer--vacant
* Public Affairs Officer--Victoria Delong
* Consular Officer--Wendy Ryde
* Political-Economic-Commercial Officer--Quentin Barber
* Regional Security Officer--Brian Roundy

See also

* Foreign relations of Seychelles
* Foreign relations of the United States

References

StateDept [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/6268.htm]