VICTORIA (Seychelles),New Delhi, 29 June (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday concluded his State Visit to Seychelles and departed for India after a series of high-level engagements aimed at further strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries.

In a special diplomatic gesture, Seychelles Vice-President Sebastien Pillay was present at the airport to bid farewell to the Prime Minister, underscoring the warmth and close friendship that characterise relations between India and the island nation.

The visit marked an important milestone in the India-Seychelles partnership, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to expanding cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including maritime security, defence, development partnership, healthcare, education, capacity building, climate resilience and the blue economy.

During the visit, Prime Minister Modi held talks with the leadership of Seychelles, participated in official engagements, interacted with members of the Indian community, paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at the Peace Park in Victoria, and offered prayers at the Arulmigu Navasakthi Vinayagar Temple, reflecting the strong cultural and historical bonds shared by the two countries.

The two nations reiterated their shared vision of ensuring a secure, stable and prosperous Indian Ocean Region. Both sides also emphasised the importance of strengthening regional cooperation, promoting sustainable development and enhancing maritime collaboration to address common challenges.

India and Seychelles share longstanding diplomatic relations built on mutual trust, development cooperation and close people-to-people ties. India has been a key development partner for Seychelles, supporting the country through infrastructure projects, capacity-building initiatives, defence cooperation and humanitarian assistance.

Officials described the Prime Minister's visit as highly productive, noting that it further deepened the strategic partnership between the two countries and reinforced their shared commitment to advancing peace, security and sustainable development in the Indian Ocean region.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar