Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said India and Seychelles meet as ‘old friends’ rather than strangers, emphasising that the Indian Ocean has connected the two nations for centuries.
Addressing the National Assembly of Seychelles, he said bilateral ties predate formal diplomatic relations established 50 years ago.
Recalling the arrival of five Indians on St Anne Island aboard the ship Telemaque in August 1770, PM Modi said, “Honourable Members, it is important to recall today that our friendship did not begin 50 years ago with the establishment of our diplomatic relations. It began much earlier. The Indian Ocean does not separate India and Seychelles; it connects us. That is why we meet not as strangers; we meet as old friends.”
PM Modi praised Seychelles’ cultural diversity, saying its identity had been shaped by people from different parts of the world. He thanked President Patrick Herminie for conferring upon him the ‘Guardian of the Blue Horizon’ honour and recalled his first visit to Seychelles in 2015, describing it as the first Indian Ocean nation and African country he visited as Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister noted that INS Nilgiri participated in Seychelles’ Independence Day celebrations in 1976, while INS Tarkash and INS Ikshak are part of the country’s Golden Jubilee celebrations this year.
“As maritime neighbours, we recognise that the security of one adds to the security of the other. The passage of 50 years has changed many things, but it has not changed our commitment to one another,” he said, adding that India deeply values the professionalism and dedication of the Seychelles Defence Forces and Coast Guard in safeguarding the Indian Ocean region.
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