India will deliver a patrol ship to Seychelles during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Indian Ocean archipelago this week as part of efforts to strengthen collective security and surveillance mechanisms for small nations in the region, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
The Ministry of External Affairs announced on Thursday that Modi is scheduled to visit Seychelles from June 27 to 29 to participate in the country’s National Day Golden Jubilee celebrations as the guest of honour. A contingent of the Indian Defense Forces, including two ships belonging to the Indian Navy, will participate in the celebrations, reflecting the growing security cooperation between the two sides.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to hold talks with President Patrick Herminie to review bilateral cooperation and discuss regional and international issues. He will also deliver a speech before the Seychelles National Assembly. The sources said that Modi will be the first Indian Prime Minister to address an extraordinary session of the National Assembly.
The Ministry of External Affairs said that Seychelles has a special place in India’s Mahasagar (Mutual and Inclusive Progress for Security and Growth across the Regions) vision as a major maritime neighbour, and the visit will reinforce the shared commitment to strengthening bilateral relations.
Modi’s last visit to Seychelles was 11 years ago, and since then security, development and maritime cooperation between the two countries has grown. The two sources said that the focus of the visit will be the handover of a fast patrol vessel to the Seychelles Coast Guard, building on the previous transfer of two Dornier aircraft and several patrol boats, and the deployment of Indian defense personnel.
Seychelles has expressed its intention to join the Colombo Security Meeting – a maritime security-focused grouping that includes India, the Maldives, Mauritius and Sri Lanka – as a full member. The Lametti military exercise was raised to tri-service level this year, and Seychelles is also participating in the multilateral Milan and Baragati exercises.
Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands located on strategic sea lines of communication near the Mozambique Channel, has limited surveillance capabilities and relies on India as a partner to combat piracy, drug trafficking, illegal fishing and other transboundary threats in the western Indian Ocean, the people said.
During Herminie’s visit to India in February, India announced a $175 million special economic package – including a $125 million line of credit and a $50 million grant – and the two sides adopted the shared vision SESEL (Sustainability, Economic Growth and Security through Enhanced Linkages), a roadmap covering renewable energy, digital governance, healthcare and marine surveillance. Several projects under these initiatives are scheduled to open on June 28, the people said.
The Indian community numbers about 15,000 people – roughly 12% of Seychelles’ population of 133,000 – including 6,000 media officers of Gujarati and Tamil origin and 9,000 Indian nationals. Modi will interact with community members on June 28.
