https://sputniknews.in/20231124/exploring-india-seychelles-bilateral-relationship-defence--economic-cooperation-5555993.html
Exploring India-Seychelles Bilateral Relationship: Defence & Economic Cooperation
Exploring India-Seychelles Bilateral Relationship: Defence & Economic Cooperation
Sputnik India
In the wake of S. Jaishankar's visit to the islands, Sputnik India takes a closer look at what unites India and the Seychelles.
2023-11-24T14:45+0530
2023-11-24T14:45+0530
2023-11-24T18:15+0530
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Indian Foreign Secretary Dr S. Jaishankar and Seychelles Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism of Seychelles Louis Sylvestre Radegonde met in New Delhi on Thursday during his official two-day visit.Jaishankar, expressed his confidence in the two nations and the ways in which this meeting would enhance the bilateral relations.According to Jaishankar, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with Seychelles for Indian grant assistance for implementation of small development projects and cooperation in the field of youth and sports.Historical Background & Diplomatic TiesIndia's bilateral engagement with Seychelles evolved over the course of their shared history and later, as a result of India’s continuous support for the island nation's security.The first inhabitants of the Seychelles were five Indians, seven African slaves and fifteen French colonists, a total of 27 people who came and settled there in 1770.For a time during the British colonial era, the Bombay Presidency served as the capital of Seychelles, facilitating regular trade and supplies from India.Developmental AssistanceThe numerous development assistance programmes are offered to Seychelles under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, i.e. the capacity building platform of the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS), form an important part of bilateral cooperation.Approximately 1,000 people in the area, or more than 1% of the total population, are ITEC alumni who have already benefited from the various training sessions offered by the programme.A number of candidates from the Seychelles People's Defence Force have been selected to receive military training in India.A $25 million grant and a $50 million loan were announced during the presidential visit in 2012. In 2013, India also handed over a Dornier DO-228 aircraft to Seychelles for surveillance and anti-piracy missions.The Seychelles government had utilised this grant by 2017 to purchase police vehicles, buses, medications, medical supplies, IT equipment, stationery, and other items.India has also decided to extend a $100 million line of credit in 2018, and to gift Seychelles a second Dornier aircraft. Other agreements were also signed during Faure's visit, including those on white shipping, cyber security, the Panaji-Victoria Seychelles twinning, exchanges between the Foreign Service Institute and the Seychelles Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and cultural exchanges.Assumption Island ProjectTogether with an Indian listening post installed off the coast of Madagascar in 2007, the two islands - Agalega in Mauritius and Assumption in the Seychelles - are considered strategically important to India in the Indian Ocean region because they can enhance India's maritime domain awareness (MDA).In 2015, an agreement was signed between India and the Seychelles to jointly develop facilities on Assumption Island for mutual use by both nations.The purpose of this Assumption Island project, according to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, is 'to assist Seychelles in securing its vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), including the Mozambique Channel, which is over a thousand kilometres from the main island of Mahe'.A revised agreement for the development of Assumption Island in Seychelles was signed by S. Jaishankar in 2018 in an effort to allay political concerns about ownership and use of the facility that India would develop within the nation surrounding the Indian Ocean.Defence CooperationThe complex framework of defence and security cooperation between India and the Seychelles has strengthened over time in response to the growing threat of piracy and other economic crimes in the vital Indian Ocean region.Since 2001, India and the Seychelles have been conducting joint military exercises - also known as Lamitiye, which means friendship in Creole - to enhance military cooperation and interoperability between their armed forces. As mandated by the UN Charter, the main objective of the alliance is to prepare facilities to conduct counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations in urban areas.The Seychelles Coast Guard Service (SCGS) has received assistance from India in various areas of holistic maritime security, including:According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Seychelles is an integral part of India's SAGAR vision, which stands for Security and Growth for All in the Region.The vision outlines India's objectives for creating a secure regional architecture in the Indian Ocean region, which include "promoting peace and security, strengthening the capacities of maritime neighbours, and securing the mainland and islands".
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indian ministry of external affairs, dr s. jaishankar, seychelles minister for foreign affairs and tourism, louis sylvestre radegonde, new delhi, bilateral relations, regional concerns, memorandum of understanding (mou), indian grant assistance, small development projects, cooperation, island nation, plantation labourers, indian naval ship, ins nilgiri, indian technical and economic cooperation (itec), indian council for cultural relations (iccr), india-africa forum summit (iafs), seychelles people's defence force, dornier do-228 aircraft, surveillance, anti-piracy missions, mahé, mumbai, bilateral trade and investment, people-to-people contact, tourism, police vehicles, buses, medications, medical supplies, it equipment, stationery, seychelles health care agency (hca) and hll infrastructure services ltd., white shipping, cyber-security, assumption island project, agalega, mauritius, assumption, seychelles, india's maritime domain awareness (mda), mozambique channel, president james michel, india, seychelles, indian ocean region, lamitiye, which in creole means friendship, un charter, seychelles coast guard service (scgs), topaz, constant, hermes, and zoraoaster, eez , sagar, security and growth for all in the region, indian ocean region
indian ministry of external affairs, dr s. jaishankar, seychelles minister for foreign affairs and tourism, louis sylvestre radegonde, new delhi, bilateral relations, regional concerns, memorandum of understanding (mou), indian grant assistance, small development projects, cooperation, island nation, plantation labourers, indian naval ship, ins nilgiri, indian technical and economic cooperation (itec), indian council for cultural relations (iccr), india-africa forum summit (iafs), seychelles people's defence force, dornier do-228 aircraft, surveillance, anti-piracy missions, mahé, mumbai, bilateral trade and investment, people-to-people contact, tourism, police vehicles, buses, medications, medical supplies, it equipment, stationery, seychelles health care agency (hca) and hll infrastructure services ltd., white shipping, cyber-security, assumption island project, agalega, mauritius, assumption, seychelles, india's maritime domain awareness (mda), mozambique channel, president james michel, india, seychelles, indian ocean region, lamitiye, which in creole means friendship, un charter, seychelles coast guard service (scgs), topaz, constant, hermes, and zoraoaster, eez , sagar, security and growth for all in the region, indian ocean region
Indian Foreign Secretary Dr S. Jaishankar and Seychelles Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism of Seychelles Louis Sylvestre Radegonde met in New Delhi on Thursday during his official two-day visit.
Jaishankar, expressed his confidence in the two nations and the ways in which this meeting would enhance the bilateral relations.
According to Jaishankar, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with Seychelles for Indian grant assistance for implementation of small development projects and cooperation in the field of youth and sports.
Historical Background & Diplomatic Ties
India's bilateral engagement with Seychelles evolved over the course of their shared history and later, as a result of India’s continuous support for the island nation's security.
The first inhabitants of the Seychelles were five Indians, seven African slaves and fifteen French colonists, a total of 27 people who came and settled there in 1770.
For a time during the British colonial era, the Bombay Presidency served as the capital of Seychelles, facilitating regular trade and supplies from India.
When Seychelles gained independence in 1976, an Indian naval contingent from INS Nilgiri took part in the Independence Day celebrations. Since then, Indian military participation in the Seychelles National Day celebrations has become a tradition.
The numerous development
assistance programmes are offered to Seychelles under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, i.e. the capacity building platform of the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS), form an important part of bilateral cooperation.
Approximately 1,000 people in the area, or more than 1% of the total population, are ITEC alumni who have already benefited from the various training sessions offered by the programme.
A number of candidates from the Seychelles People's Defence Force have been selected to receive military training in India.
A $25 million grant and a $50 million loan were announced during the presidential visit in 2012. In 2013, India also handed over a Dornier DO-228 aircraft to Seychelles for surveillance and anti-piracy missions.
Air Seychelles began operating direct flights between Mahé and Mumbai to improve bilateral trade and investment, people-to-people contact, and tourism in December 2014, in compliance with an agreement signed in 2014.
The Seychelles government had utilised this grant by 2017 to
purchase police vehicles, buses, medications, medical supplies, IT equipment, stationery, and other items.
Similarly, in 2017, the Seychelles Health Care Agency (HCA) and HLL Infrastructure Services Ltd signed a contract to purchase medical equipment from HITES, including anaesthesia machines, neonatal ventilators, patient monitors, etc., for a total of US$2.71 million under a US$25 million grant from the Indian government.
India has also decided to extend a $100 million line of credit in 2018, and to gift Seychelles a second Dornier aircraft. Other agreements were also signed during Faure's visit, including those on white shipping, cyber security, the Panaji-Victoria Seychelles twinning, exchanges between the Foreign Service Institute and the Seychelles Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and cultural exchanges.
Assumption Island Project
Together with an Indian listening post installed off the coast of Madagascar in 2007, the two islands - Agalega in Mauritius and Assumption in the Seychelles - are considered strategically important to India in the Indian Ocean region because they can enhance India's maritime domain awareness (MDA).
In 2015, an agreement was signed between India and the Seychelles to jointly develop facilities on Assumption Island for mutual use by both nations.
The purpose of this Assumption Island project, according to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, is 'to assist Seychelles in securing its vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), including the Mozambique Channel, which is over a thousand kilometres from the main island of Mahe'.
The Seychelles Agreement was signed during the administration of President James Michel, when the ruling party had a majority in the legislature, but was never submitted to the National Assembly for ratification. There was some concern among the opposition and Seychellois civil society about the terms of the agreement because it had not been made public.
A
revised agreement for the development of Assumption Island in Seychelles was signed by S. Jaishankar in 2018 in an effort to allay political concerns about ownership and use of the facility that India would develop within the nation surrounding the Indian Ocean.
The complex framework of defence and security cooperation between India and the Seychelles has strengthened over time in response to the growing threat of piracy and other economic crimes in the vital Indian Ocean region.
Since 2001, India and the Seychelles have been conducting joint military exercises - also known as Lamitiye, which means friendship in Creole - to enhance military cooperation and interoperability between their armed forces. As mandated by the UN Charter, the main objective of the alliance is to prepare facilities to conduct counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations in urban areas.
The Seychelles Coast Guard Service (SCGS) has received assistance from India in various areas of holistic maritime security, including:
the provision of patrol vessels (such as the Topaz, Constant, Hermes, and Zoraoaster),
the establishment of shore-based repair,
refit, and maintenance facilities,
the establishment of a shore-based chain of coastal radars and AIS receivers to improve MDA,
complex training sessions,
extensive hydrographic surveys,
the development of the archipelago's farther atolls.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Seychelles is an integral part of India's SAGAR vision, which stands for Security and Growth for All in the Region.
The vision outlines India's objectives for creating a secure regional architecture in the Indian Ocean region, which include "promoting peace and security, strengthening the capacities of maritime neighbours, and securing the mainland and islands".
