Seychelles President Concludes Fruitful India Visit, Strengthens Ties

During his visit, he was seen off at the airport by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and for Chemicals and Fertilisers, Anupriya S. Patel. The visit marked the 50th anniversary of the India-Seychelles partnership.

Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, in a post on X said, "A fruitful and productive visit concludes. After a successful visit, President Dr. Patrick Herminie has left for Seychelles. He was seen off at the airport by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare & for Chemicals and Fertilizers Anupriya S Patel. The visit came in the 50th anniversary of India-Seychelles partnership and witnessed several high quality outcomes in the fields of fintech, healthcare, defence and innovation among others."

Earlier on Tuesday, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh called on Seychelles' Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, Barry Faure and Chief of Defence Forces of the Seychelles Defence Forces, Major General Michael Anselme Marc Rosette, in the national capital, with both sides agreeing to further strengthen defence and security cooperation.

During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the growing defence and security collaboration between India and Seychelles and reaffirmed their shared commitment to contributing towards peace, stability, and security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

According to a press release, both sides welcomed the upcoming joint military exercise LAMITYE-2026 between the Indian Defence Forces and the Seychelles Defence Forces, as well as ongoing capacity-building initiatives.

They agreed to further enhance the scope and depth of these engagements.

Discussions also covered cooperation in training, hydrography, maritime security, as well as ships' and aircraft's visits and defence delegation exchanges.

The Defence Secretary also welcomed Seychelles' participation in the upcoming International Fleet Review and the 2026 edition of Exercise Milan, scheduled to be held in Visakhapatnam next week.

"India & Seychelles reaffirmed their shared commitment to enhancing bilateral engagement and contributing towards peace, stability, and security in the Indian Ocean Region," the statement read.

The two sides also exchanged views on MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions), India's vision for inclusive, cooperative, and sustainable security and growth, and underlined the importance of a collaborative approach to addressing shared maritime challenges, capacity building, and development partnerships.

- ANI