Pushing for India’s MAHASAGAR initiative, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) remains a ‘shared home’, and its ‘security, sustainability and prosperity’ is every country’s responsibility, while stressing that people-to-people ties remains the biggest strength of India-Seychelles relationship.
In a joint press meet with Seychelles President Dr Patrick Herminie following a bilateral meeting, the prime minister said India wants an Indian ocean which paves the way for further increasing bilateral relationship and the economic ties. He said the Indian ocean should be an ocean of opportunities.ย
“We believe that Indian ocean is our shared home. Its security, sustainability and prosperity are our shared responsibility. This is the central theme of our MAHASAGAR initiative. Today, we held discussions to increase the bilateral ties and works will be done improve the connectivity between the two countries that will help in increasing the trade,” he said.ย
He said steps will be taken to increase the connectivity between India and Seychelles, which will help New Delhi in strengthening with the entire east Africa. He also called for using digital technology to bridging the distance between the two nations.ย
The prime minister also said he was pleased that India and Seychelles have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for implementation of the unified payments interface (UPI) in the east African nation.
PM Modi also received Seychelles’ ‘Guardian of the Blue Horizon‘ and said he was honoured to receive the title. He was conferred the title — which is Seychelles’ highest distinction for leadership in environmental conservation and sustainable development — for his push for sustainable growth and the green vision.
Upon receiving the award, PM Modi said it was a matter of pride and joy for him and the Indians to be honoured with this title.ย
“I humbly accept this honor and dedicate it to all those nations that are battling the challenge of climate change and view environmental conservation as a responsibility towards future generations,” PM Modi said.ย
“My visit takes place at a historic juncture as Seychelles marks 50 years of its independence, and we celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Seychelles. Over the course of these 50 years, we have transformed friendship into trust, trust into cooperation, and cooperation into public welfare,” he added.
Meanwhile, Herminie said the bilateral meeting with PM Modi gave an opportunity to both nations to review the progress they have made across key areas, calling it a landmark in the bilateral journey.ย
Herminie also spoke about the inauguration of India-assisted Professional and Technical Education Center, saying it will equip the youth with world-class vocational training, strengthening the country’s capacity building.ย
On conferring PM Modi with ‘Guardian of the Blue Horizon’, he said the honour is a symbol of Seychelles’ ‘deepest respect and recognition’ for the Indian leader’s efforts sustainable growth and contribution to the green vision.
“Today, we have concluded various legal instruments that will deepen our collaboration across foreign service, digital banking, health, agriculture, sea flooring, extradition, space exploration, and the construction of a new Seychelles National Hospital. Our talks have set a strong foundation for the next chapter of our cooperation,” he said.
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