April 16, 2010 -- The former Prime Minister of Ireland, Dr Gareth Fitzgerald,  yesterday congratulated President James Michel for his achievements and courage in tackling the economic problems.

He said after calling on the President at State House that Mr Michel has also been able to make the right decisions and get the support of his people during these hard times.

"When I last came to Seychelles decisions such as devaluation of the rupee had already taken place and I wanted to see the progress," he said.

He added that piracy is another issue which has arisen and Seychelles has a huge area to protect.  Dr Fitzgerald said the European Union, international communities and other international organizations have to extend more support, as the country needs more resources to fight piracy.

The former Irish PM wrote the foreword to the book A Man of the People, the collection of Mr Michel's speeches from the time of his first inauguration on April 14, 2004.