- Title: UNITED KINGDOM: BRITAIN ASSURES SEYCHELLES OF INDEPENDENCE BY END OF JUNE.
- Date: 21st January 1976
- Summary: 1. GV EXTERIOR Marlborough House 0.06 2. SV British delegate shaking hands with Seychelles delegate 0.14 3. CU British delegate PAN TO Seychelles delegate 0.18 4. SV Photographers 0.19 5. GV Delegates seated around table 0.29 6. SV British delegate at table 0.34 7. SV Seychelles delegation (2 shots) 0.47 Initials CL/1647 CL/1655 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 5th February 1976 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LONDON, U.K.
- City:
- Country: United Kingdom
- Reuters ID: LVA1LYO1NBC2KPU2HPLZD71XUY3V
- Story Text: A constitutional conference aimed at giving independence to the Indian Ocean islands of the Seychelles opened at Marlborough House in London on Monday (19 January) with a British assurance that the colony should be independent by the end of June.
Mr. Ted Rowlands, British Foreign and Commonwealth Office Parliamentary Under-Secretary, told the conference, "we are still on target for the achievement of Seychelles independence by the end of June this year".
He said Britain had great experience in decolonisation since it had now given independence to 37 dependent territories and colonies.
The Seychelles delegation is led by the colony's premier, Mr. James Mancham.
Mr. Mancham said that one of the main issues at the talks would be the future of three small islands, Aldabra, Desroches and Farquhar.
These were detached by Britain from the Seychelles in 1965 to form part of a new British Indian Ocean territory. The Seychelles now want them returned.
SYNOPSIS: Marlborough House, London, where a constitutional conference opened on Monday, aimed at giving independence to the Indian Ocean islands of the Seychelles. As the conference opened, Britain gave the Seychelles delegation the assurance that the colony would be independent by the end of June this year. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Mr. Ted Rowlands, recalled that Britain has had great experience in decolonisation, having now given independence to thirty-seven former dependent colonies and territories.
The Seychelles delegation is being led by the colony's Premier, Mr. James Mancham. The colony is made up of ninety-two islands, including three disputed ones, and has a population of sixty thousand.
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