London, United Kingdom: President Danny Faure attended a meeting hosted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada at the InterContinental Hotel this afternoon, for Leaders of Commonwealth Small Island and Coastal States. The meeting was on the subject of oceans, coastal resilience, and climate change.

The subject of oceans will be discussed for the first time at the G7 Summit this year, which is being hosted by Canada in June 2018. Prime Minister Trudeau pledged the Canadian Government’s support to Small Island States in climate challenges, and promised to be a helpful voice and partner on the issue.

In his intervention, President Faure congratulated Prime Minister Trudeau for taking the initiative and expressed his appreciation that Canada will be a strong advocate for small states as it takes over the presidency of the G7. “Seychelles is pleased to push forward the importance of the Blue Economy, as it represents the next frontier for our economies. The Blue Economy represents an opportunity for us to collectively share our aspirations and the good work that we have been doing,” said the President.

President Faure also pushed for a resolution on the issue of the vulnerability index for Small Island Developing States and the issue of financing infrastructural projects.

Also present at this meeting were the leaders of Vanuatu, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Guyana, Nauru, St Kitts and Nevis, Tuvalu, Belize, Mauritius, Antigua and Barbuda, Fiji, Bahamas, Malta, and Barbados.