9th joint commission meeting between Seychelles and India |16 May 2018

President Faure’s official visit to India in June announced

Seychelles and India have announced that President Danny Faure will undertake an official visit to India next month which they both described as a medium for further cooperation to the highest level.

The announcement was made amid other discussions on future areas of cooperation between the two countries during the two-day Indo-Seychelles joint commission meeting held on Monday and Tuesday at the department of foreign affairs’ headquarters at Maison Quéau de Quinssy, Mont Fleuri.

The thematic areas elaborated on are in the fields of health, science and technology, agriculture, fisheries and blue economy, tourism, civil aviation and marine sector, finance, economic and commercial, development partnership, technical cooperation, training and capacity building, education, human resources and culture, energy, environment and sustainable development, political and international relations, strategic security and defence cooperation.

Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Barry Faure led the talks on Seychelles’ side and Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale led on the Indian side. This was in the presence of Indian High Commissioner to Seychelles Ausaf Sayeed and other key Indian and Seychellois officials.

Seychelles and India established diplomatic relations on June 29, 1976. Since 1990 both countries’ programmes of cooperation and partnership have been regularised under the framework of the joint commission.

The first Indo-Seychelles joint commission took place in New Delhi in September 1990 where both countries ensured the enhancement of cooperation at all levels.

“This 9th Indo-Seychelles joint commission is therefore a vital exercise for both our countries as it builds a forward-looking pathway to engagement between our governments and peoples whilst acknowledging the roads travelled so far and milestones reached,” said Mr Faure in a statement.

He remarked that the 8th Indo-Seychelles commission meeting that took place in New Delhi on May 8, 2013 has generated a number of collaborations in many sectors of both government’s structures: from visits through exchange of experiences and signing of instruments, to training courses where the two sides have been able to connect and support each others’ growth over the four years.

Mr Faure elaborated on some pertinent areas of cooperation between the two countries like both of them being founding members of the International Alliance Initiative which advocates for sustainable development, universal energy access, energy security and renewable energy affordable for all.

He also mentioned maritime security where India has been a faithful partner.

In his remarks, Foreign Secretary Gokhale thanked the Seychelles government for hosting the meeting and for the warm welcome he and his delegation received.

“We are two democracies which have historically enjoyed very close and privileged relations since Seychelles gained independence in 1976. Both our countries have a unique strategic diversity; we share the same geo-strategic vision of maintaining peace, security and stability in the Indian Ocean and India attaches paramount importance in strengthening and consolidating our bilateral ties with our maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean, including Seychelles,” he said.

Mr Gokhale reaffirmed his government’s commitment to help Seychelles in whatever areas they can for the advancement of both countries’ bilateral relations.