India and Seychelles on Sunday said the two countries are widening cooperation in areas such as defence, maritime security, digital payments, space, healthcare, agriculture and education.
The decisions were announced following a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Seychelles President Patrick Herminie.
The package of outcomes, announced after delegation-level talks during Modi’s three-day state visit, reflects the expanding partnership between India and the Indian Ocean island nation.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the outcomes included an extradition treaty, an agreement on cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space, an agreement to advance UPI-based digital payments in Seychelles, an umbrella line of credit agreement with the Export-Import Bank of India and an agreement for preliminary preparations for a new Seychelles National Hospital.
On the defence and security side, the two countries announced the gifting of a fast patrol vessel to Seychelles, the handover of 10 utility vehicles and five patrol boats to the Seychelles Defence Force and the completion of the refit of ship PS Zoroaster for the Seychelles Coast Guard.
Other development initiatives included the handover of six ambulances, 500 metric tonnes of rice and 8,500 metric tonnes of cement. The two sides also launched a commemorative logo to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations and held a virtual ground-breaking ceremony for a professional and technical education centre, the MEA said in a series of posts on X.
India and Seychelles also signed an agreement between NPCI International Payments Ltd and the Central Bank of Seychelles to advance UPI-based digital payments in the island nation and deepen economic and technological cooperation. An agreement between HLL Lifecare Ltd and Seychelles’ Health Ministry under the Jan Aushadhi scheme aims to improve access to good quality and affordable Indian medicines. Another memorandum of understanding provides for preliminary preparations for the new Seychelles National Hospital, the MEA said.
The two sides also concluded agreements on diplomatic training between the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service and Seychelles’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, agriculture research and education, recognition of training and certification of seafarers serving on Seychelles-flagged vessels and cooperation in the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space, the MEA added.
Modi is visiting Seychelles at the invitation of President Herminie and will take part in the country’s National Day celebrations as the guest of honour.
The announcements capped talks held during Modi’s visit, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Seychelles, and covered a wide range of areas from security and development to healthcare, education and digital connectivity.
Modi addresses Parliament
PM Modi on Sunday invoked the shared India-Seychelles ties while addressing island nation’s Parliament in Victoria, referencing commonalities like “samosas, celebration of Diwali and garbha dance during Navratri”. Modi is the first Indian PM to address Seychelles Parliament and he referred to how Indians first arrived at the island 250 years ago. This was Modi’s 20th foreign Parliament address.
