(Seychelles News Agency) - The President of Seychelles, Danny Faure, has called on all Seychellois to renew their commitment as citizens to reinforce national unity in the island nation in his National Day message on Saturday.

Since 2015, June 29, which marks the day Seychelles gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1976, is celebrated as the National Day.

Faure wished all Seychellois here and all around the world a happy Independence Day in his address as the island nation celebrated 43 years of independence.

“Our National Day is a moment of pride. It is a moment of joy for our small blessed country. It symbolises the unity of our people, patriotism, hope, the march of a nation towards a future always bright. A future also fills with opportunity. Each one of us needs to seize these opportunities to bring more progress for ourselves, for our families and for our country,” said Faure.

The head of state of Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, said that “as we celebrate, let us take a moment to remember the hard work the generation before us had to do for an independent Seychelles.”

Faure thanked all Seychellois workers across generation who worked hard, with courage, passion and devotion to bring Seychelles where it is today.

“Seychelles is not only a dot on the world map. Not just a country admired for its natural beauty but a country that is respected and recognised for the hard work that as a nation we have been able to do. We have made progress. We have developed in the space of 43 years. This is a reason for us to be proud, for us to celebrate,” he said.

In a message for this occasion, the opposition coalition, Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS), also extended best wishes for a memorable and joyful National Day 2019 to everyone in Seychelles, citizens and visitors.

“This day is a symbol of our nation and it celebrates our unity and solidarity. Once again, we express our great appreciation that despite difficult times we have lived in peace, able to avoid the bitter conflicts and divisions that so many other nations have experienced. Today, we also pledge our determination to sustain peace and build stronger unity so that we can bring a better future for our people,” said LDS.

The opposition coalition added that “as citizens, our National Day is our common anniversary. Celebrating it with joy will strengthen the spirit of togetherness which we need to face the challenges that lie before us, which include safeguarding our sovereignty, ensuring the security of our communities, building economic prosperity, preserving our environment and resolving our social problems.

LDS paid special tribute to all those who give their time and effort over and above their paid employment to making Seychelles a better place.

“Let our National Day, which falls right in the middle of the year, mean everything that we want the year to be for us,” LDS concluded.

The highlight of the Seychelles’ National Day will be a military parade at the Unity Stadium at Roche Caiman -- a central district of the main island of Mahe -- as from 6 p.m.

This year’s guest of honour at the National Day celebrations is the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, who arrived in Seychelles on Friday.