New Delhi, June 27 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Seychelles on a State visit starting Saturday (June 27) to attend the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the country’s National Day as the Guest of Honour.

PM Modi will be travelling to Seychelles at the invitation of Seychelles President Patrick Herminie.

During the visit, PM Modi will hold talks with President Herminie to review the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, according to the statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

PM Modi is scheduled to address the Seychelles National Assembly and interact with members of the Indian diaspora.

“India and Seychelles share a longstanding partnership rooted in shared historical, cultural and people-to-people ties. As a key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean region, Seychelles holds a special place in India’s Vision MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) and our commitment to the Global South,” the MEA statement said.

PM Modi’s visit to Seychelles will reaffirm the strong and enduring friendship between two nations and reinforce the shared commitment of both countries to enhance the bilateral relationship across all sectors, it added.

Earlier in April, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met his Seychelles counterpart, Barry Faure, on the sidelines of the 9th Indian Ocean Conference in Mauritius and expressed New Delhi’s commitment to supporting Victoria in meeting its current economic challenges.

“Great meeting FM Barry Faure of Seychelles on the sidelines of 9th Indian Ocean Conference. India is committed to supporting Seychelles in meeting current economic challenges. Welcomed the steps in implementing the Special Economic Package,” Jaishankar posted on X.

In February, the Seychelles President was on a six-day State visit to India. During the visit, President Herminie and PM Modi held discussions covering the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and agreed to also work closely in digital transformation.

Noting the need for Seychelles to digitise governance for the benefit of its people, India agreed to support the buildout of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), including digital payments, as per Seychelles’ needs and requirements.

According to the ‘Joint Vision for Sustainability, Economic Growth and Security through Enhanced Linkages’ (SESEL) adopted by both countries, PM Modi reaffirmed India’s commitment to remaining a reliable partner in the national development agenda of Seychelles, with a focus on sustainability, defence, maritime security, capacity building, resilience and inclusive growth.

Describing India-Seychelles ties as “dynamic and excellent”, India’s High Commissioner to Seychelles, Rohit Rathish, earlier on Friday said the two countries are looking to expand cooperation into emerging areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), cyberspace, cybersecurity, marine science and conservation, and the blue economy.

Speaking to IANS ahead of Prime Minister’s visit, Rathish said India and Seychelles are expected to sign several agreements and announce key outcomes across multiple sectors. He also recalled Seychelles President Patrick Herminie’s visit to India in February and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s visit to Seychelles in October last year, highlighting the momentum in high-level bilateral engagement.

–IANS

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