Victoria, June 28 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the Indian Ocean’s security, sustainability, and prosperity are shared responsibilities of nations, as he stressed that India’s vision for it is to make it an “Ocean of Opportunity”.

Addressing a joint press meet with Seychelles President Patrick Herminie following their meeting, PM Modi said, “We believe the Indian Ocean is our shared home. Its security, sustainability and prosperity are our shared responsibility. This sentiment is the basis of our MAHASAGAR vision.”

India wants the Indian Ocean to pave the way for economic prosperity along with maritime security, he said.

“The message of my visit to Seychelles is clear – India envisions an Indian Ocean where economic prosperity grows alongside maritime security; where our partnerships are based on mutual respect and trust rather than size; and where we move forward not merely in proximity to one another, but together. Our vision is to make the Indian Ocean into an Ocean of Opportunity.”

PM Modi expressed gratitude to President Herminie for the warm welcome and honouring him with the “Guardian of the Blue Horizon” award.

“I express my heartfelt gratitude to President Herminie for our warm welcome and gracious hospitality. Being honoured by him with the ‘Guardian of the Blue Horizon’ is a matter of immense joy for me and 1.4 billion Indians. While humbly accepting this honour, I dedicate it to all those countries that are fighting the challenge of climate change and consider environmental conservation their duty towards future generations.”

He noted that the Indian Ocean has nurtured the ties between India and Seychelles for years and has fostered trade, culture, and human connections between the two nations.

“My visit takes place at a historic occasion 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. The Indian Ocean has nurtured the relationship between India and Seychelles for centuries; its waves have continuously fostered trade, culture, and human connections between us,” he said.

PM Modi announced that India and Seychelles will continue to explore new opportunities for the industries of both nations, and efforts will be made to enhance connectivity between the two nations.

“The joint vision issued during the President’s visit to India in February of this year has laid the blueprint for our future partnership. Building upon this, our cooperation across all sectors is strengthening. Today, we discussed making our economic cooperation more resilient and future-ready. We will continue to explore new opportunities for the industries of both our nations. Efforts will also be made to enhance connectivity between India and Seychelles. This will not only boost our trade but also strengthen ties with East Africa and the Indian Ocean region.”

PM Modi termed digital technology an effective means to bridge the distance between the two nations and announced that India will share its successful experiences in digital public infrastructure with Seychelles.

–IANS

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