India to underwrite Seychelles’ security: PM

new delhi, April 8

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India was committed to strengthening the maritime security of Seychelles.

“Seychelles is central to India’s vision of ‘SAGAR’ — ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region’. India is honoured to be a partner of Seychelles in the development of its security capabilities and in meeting its infrastructural and developmental needs,” the PM said during a virtual summit with Wavel Ramkalawan, the recently-elected Indian-origin President of Seychelles.

The game plan

• India’s ultimate game plan is to achieve greater proximity with four island nations in the Indian Ocean — Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles — collectively called Vanilla Island nations.
• South Block is also planning a stand-alone summit with the Vanilla Group after the last one held in 2019. It will also partner with France.

India also handed over a new, indigenous Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) to the Seychelles Coast Guard to help protect maritime resources. Both leaders also inaugurated several projects, including a new magistrates’ court building, a mini-solar plant and 10 high impact community development projects.

India is currently negotiating with Seychelles for taking an island on lease, presumably to set up a naval base on this strategically located Indian Ocean island-country.

India seemed set for taking the Resumption Island on lease from Seychelles when Modi visited the country in 2015 andsigned a pact with Ramkalawan’s predecessor. But Bihar-origin Ramkalawan’s party in coalition with three other parties shot down the agreement on environmental grounds. Now with Ramkalawan as President, Modi would be hoping to resuscitate the project. — TNS

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