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India–Seychelles relations

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India–Seychelles relations
Map indicating locations of India and Seychelles

India
Seychelles

India–Seychelles relations are bilateral relations between the Republic of India and the Republic of Seychelles. India has a High Commission in Victoria while Seychelles maintains a High Commission in New Delhi.[1]

History

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Diplomatic ties between India and Seychelles have existed since Seychelles gained independence in 1976. A resident high commissioner of India has been in Victoria since 1987 while Seychelles opened its resident mission in New Delhi in 2008. Relations between the two countries have been warm and cordial with regular high level exchange visits between the countries. From India, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Presidents R Venkataraman and Pratibha Patil have visited the Seychelles,[2] while Presidents France Albert Rene, James Alix Michel and Danny Faure of Seychelles have paid state visits to India.[3][4] India and Seychelles have broad based relations that cover a host of sectors including defence, culture, trade and technical cooperation. According to the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India, relations between India and Seychelles have been characterised by "close friendship, understanding and cooperation",[5] while Seychelles has described itself as a "rock of dependability for India in the Indian Ocean region”.[6]

In its foreign relations, Seychelles maximizes the benefits it receives from both India and China by taking advantage of those two countries' rivalry with respect to the strategic waterway in which Seychelles exists.[7]: 47 

Economic Relations

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Seychelles President James Michel hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Trade between India and Seychelles amounted to only US$40 million in 2010–11 with the balance of trade heavily in India's favour.[8] Tourism, fishing, petroleum exploration, communications and IT, computer education and pharmaceuticals have been identified as areas of economic cooperation between the two countries.[9][10] India and Seychelles signed a bilateral investment promotion agreement in 2010 and in 2012, during President Pratibha Patil's visit to Seychelles, India extended it a $50 million line of credit and a grant of $25 million.[11][12] Among India's private sector companies, telecom major Airtel has a significant presence in Seychelles, having acquired Telecom Seychelles and partnered in the Seychelles East Africa submarine cable project.[13]

Defence Cooperation

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Adm Robin K Dhowan and Seychelles President James Michel at a ceremony to transfer INS Tarasa (T63) from the Indian Navy to the Seychelles Coast Guard, 7 November 2014.

India and Seychelles have a close defence ties. Seychelles is of strategic importance to India as it lies close to global lanes of shipping and commerce and is an important base in the fight against seaborne terrorism and piracy in the Indian Ocean Region.[14] In June 1986, the Indian Navy deployed the INS Vindhyagiri at the Seychelles Port of Victoria to abort an attempted coup against President Rene by Defence Minister Berlouis in what was called Operation Flowers are Blooming.[15] India helped avert a further attempted coup by Berlouis in September 1986, when Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi lent President René his plane so that he could fly back from an international meeting in Harare to the Seychelles. President René reportedly took shelter in the resident of the Indian High Commissioner in Male.[16]

In 2009, India acted upon a request of the Seychelles and dispatched naval ships to patrol the exclusive economic zone of Seychelles and to guard it against piracy.[17] India has provided Seychelles with monetary support and equipment such as Dornier 228s and Chetak helicopters for meeting its defence needs besides deputing officers from the Indian armed forces in Seychelles and helping in capacity building of the Seychelles' armed forces.[18][19][20]

Various Indian Navy ships have visited Seychelles as part of their anti-piracy deployment and protection of Seychelles EEZ, including INS Tarmugli (T64) in February 2005, INS Sukanya in March 2011, INS Shardul from 4 to 6 June 2011 and from 17 to 19 June, 2011 and INS Sarvekshak, which visited Port Victoria on 7 November 2011 and conducted hydrographic survey of Aldabra.[21]

The Seychelles government has leased the Assumption Island to the Indian Navy to build an overseas base of operations there. The Indian Army is helping to renovate the airfield while the navy has taken permission from the Seychelles government to make a new deep sea port by dredging sand for the same instead of using the ruined, old jetty which is already present. The residents of the island were relocated to another island by the help of Indian Government.[22][23][24] Seychelles maritime security advisor is also an Indian naval officer.[25]

In June 2018, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India was extending Seychelles a US$100 million credit to develop its defence capabilities.[26]

Technical Cooperation

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India has been working on human resource development and capacity building with the Government of Seychelles under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme since the early 1980s. India is a medical tourism destination for the Seychellois and the Government of Seychelles has tied up with MIOT Hospitals and Madras Medical Mission in Chennai for providing healthcare to its citizens. The two nations have also been working together in the areas of environment protection and renewable energy and India is to set up a solar power cluster in Seychelles. Seychelles is also promoting itself as a tourist destination in India although Indian tourists numbered only 8200 in 2010.[11][27][28][29][30]

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Relations of India and Seychelles.

References

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  1. ^ "High Commission of India, Seychelles". Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  2. ^ "President arrives in Seychelles on a 2-day visit". Hindu Businessline. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  3. ^ "Indo-Seychelles Bilateral Relations". Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  4. ^ Bagchi, Indrani (24 June 2018). "Seychelles president gifts giant tortoises to Hyderabad zoo". The Times of India. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  5. ^ "Sorry for the inconvenience".
  6. ^ "Seychelles says it would be 'rock of dependability' for India". The Hindu. April 30, 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  7. ^ Shinn, David H.; Eisenman, Joshua (2023). China's Relations with Africa: a New Era of Strategic Engagement. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-21001-0.
  8. ^ "President to lead business delegations to Seychelles, S. Africa". The Hindu Businessline. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  9. ^ "Economic diplomacy important: Pratibha". The Hindu. May 8, 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  10. ^ "Seychelles keen on trade pact with India". The Hindu Businessline. August 2, 2005. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  11. ^ a b "India reaches out to Seychelles". The Hindu. April 30, 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  12. ^ "Seychelles, Mauritius keen on attracting Indian investments". The Hindu Businessline. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  13. ^ "Bharti to invest $10 mn in Seychelles". HT Mint. August 17, 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  14. ^ "India will work with Seychelles against piracy, terror: President". The Hindu. April 29, 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  15. ^ "India's Sea Power Status Going Into the Future An Appreciation". Defence and Security Alert. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  16. ^ David Brewster and Ranjit Rai. "Flowers Are Blooming: the story of the India Navy's secret operation in the Seychelles. Retrieved 10 August 2014".
  17. ^ "Navy responds to SOS from Seychelles". The Indian Express. April 20, 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  18. ^ "India to assist Seychelles in anti-piracy operations". The Hindu. July 20, 2010. Archived from the original on January 26, 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  19. ^ "India to discuss security ties with Seychelles". The Hindu. June 2, 2010. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  20. ^ "Bharti Airtel to acquire Telecom Seychelles". The Hindu. August 11, 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  21. ^ "India-Seychelles Relations" (PDF). India - Seychelles relations. Ministry of External Affairs - India. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  22. ^ Bhattacherjee, Kallol (23 December 2015). "Seychelles committed to Indian naval base". The Hindu.
  23. ^ "Asia's scramble for Africa". The Economist.
  24. ^ "India to form its first Naval Base in Seychelles to tighten vigil over Indian Ocean: Read to know more : Current Affairs". Archived from the original on 2017-10-08. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  25. ^ "India: Building a Sphere of Influence in the Indian Ocean? - RealClearDefense".
  26. ^ Press Trust of India (June 25, 2018). "India and Seychelles agree on naval base at Assumption Island". "I feel pleasure in announcing a credit of $100 million for Seychelles defence. With this credit Seychelles will be able to buy defence equipments from India to build its maritime capacity," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the joint press meet.
  27. ^ "India-Seychelles air link to resume from Nov 1". The Hindu Businessline. September 9, 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  28. ^ "Seychelles seeks better air links with India". The Hindu. June 3, 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  29. ^ "India-Seychelles Relations" (PDF). Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  30. ^ "Seychelles and India, ideal partners for development". June 2, 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
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