Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday held bilateral and delegation-level talks with Seychelles President Patrick Herminie at the State House in Victoria as part of his three-day State Visit to the island nation, aimed at further strengthening the longstanding partnership between India and Seychelles.
The talks followed a ceremonial Guard of Honour accorded to Prime Minister Modi at the State House, where he was welcomed by President Herminie. The two leaders also participated in ceremonial proceedings reflecting the close diplomatic ties between the two countries.
The Indian delegation included External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
The Seychelles delegation comprised Vice President Sebastien Pillay, Principal Minister and Minister for Fisheries, Agriculture and the Blue Economy Wallace Cosgrow, Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora Barry Faure, Minister for Finance, Economic Planning, Trade and Investment Pierre Laporte, along with other senior officials.
Prime Minister Modi and President Herminie first held one-on-one bilateral discussions before chairing the delegation-level talks covering the full spectrum of India-Seychelles relations.
Prime Minister Modi arrived in Victoria on Saturday on a State Visit from June 27 to 29 at the invitation of President Herminie. He was received at the airport by the Seychelles President, senior Cabinet ministers and other dignitaries. The ceremonial welcome featured cultural performances, including a traditional dance from the Kutch region of Gujarat.
During the visit, the Prime Minister is scheduled to participate as the Guest of Honour at Seychelles’ Golden Jubilee National Day celebrations, commemorating 50 years of the country’s independence.
On the first day of his visit, Prime Minister Modi visited the Seychelles National Botanical Garden, where he participated in a joint tree plantation ceremony under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiative and interacted with President Herminie.
The Prime Minister also handed over the Made-in-India Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) PS LESPWAR to Seychelles during a ceremony at the Seychelles Coast Guard Base. Built by Goa Shipyard Limited, the vessel is expected to strengthen the island nation’s maritime surveillance and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) patrol capabilities.
In addition, India handed over six ambulances, 10 utility vehicles and five laser radial boats to support Seychelles’ development and maritime security.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the assistance reflects the growing strategic partnership between India and Seychelles and underscores India’s commitment to enhancing maritime cooperation and security in the Indian Ocean Region under the Vision MAHASAGAR initiative.
-ANI
