NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The Seychelles has just 90,000 people, but that's not holding the island nation back from seeking a seat on the U.N. Security Council.

Seychelles President James Michel announced Friday that his country wants a non-permanent seat on the council for the 2017-18 term. Michel said Seychelles has shown it is ready for a seat through its role in fighting Somali piracy and its recent mediation efforts to help resolve a Madagascar political crisis. Seychelles is a luxury island destination off East Africa.

Malta, the southern European island nation, appears to be the least populous country to ever sit on the Security Council, in 1983-84. Malta has 410,000 people, more than four times as many as Seychelles.