November 4 2011 -- A seven-strong fisheries delegation from the European Union met President James Michel and Vice-President Danny Faure at State House yesterday.

The tuna fisheries agreement that the European Union (EU) has with Seychelles is the most important such accord the EU has with any other country, said delegation leader Carmen Fraga Estevez after the meetings.

The team is from the Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament. Visits to industrial fishing facilities included the tuna canning factory, the transshipment port and the Victoria-based Indian Ocean Tuna Commission.

Mrs Estevez told the national media after the State House meetings: "Our committee decided to come and see what is going on here by talking to the government and the people."

She said the EU is reviewing its policies including those to do with external relations and current agreements and their visit to Seychelles can help in the revision "since everything can be improved".

The experience with the Seychelles agreement has been good, she noted, adding that "we want to learn from it what can be improved in the future".

Mrs Estevez said the team has a good opinion of what is going on in Seychelles and what can be done. She commended Seychelles economy and what it has been able to do for the country, praising the country's political will to achieve set goals.