VICTORIA (Seychelles)/New Delhi, 27 June (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Seychelles on Saturday on a three-day State Visit, where he will participate as the Chief Guest at the country's National Day Golden Jubilee celebrations. President Dr. Patrick Herminie personally received the Prime Minister at the airport with a ceremonial welcome.

On the first day of his visit, Prime Minister Modi accompanied President Herminie to the Seychelles National Botanical Gardens, where the two leaders took part in a joint tree-planting ceremony. They also visited the Aldabra giant tortoise enclosure before the Prime Minister later interacted with members of the Indian diaspora.

In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi described Seychelles as one of India's closest maritime partners and a trusted friend in the Indian Ocean region. He said he looked forward to strengthening the longstanding partnership between the two countries and expanding cooperation for the benefit of their people.

In another post, the Prime Minister appreciated the traditional dance from Kutch that was performed to welcome him. He praised the Indian diaspora in Seychelles for preserving and celebrating India's rich and diverse cultural heritage across generations.

From the airport, Prime Minister Modi and President Herminie travelled together in the same vehicle to the National Botanical Gardens. Sharing another update on social media, the Prime Minister said he was pleased to visit the gardens alongside President Herminie.

During the visit, the two leaders jointly planted a Coco de Mer sapling, a unique and iconic species native to Seychelles that also features on the country's national emblem. Prime Minister Modi said the gesture reflected the shared commitment of India and Seychelles towards biodiversity conservation, environmental responsibility, and leaving behind a greener and healthier planet for future generations.

The leaders also visited the enclosure housing the Aldabra giant tortoises. In another post, the Prime Minister noted that the Aldabra giant tortoise is endemic to Seychelles and is among the world's largest and longest-living tortoise species, with some individuals having lived for more than two centuries.

Prime Minister Modi also recalled that the Aldabra giant tortoise shares a special connection with India-Seychelles friendship. He noted that in 2014, Seychelles gifted two of these tortoises to Kolkata's Alipore Zoological Gardens, followed by another consignment presented to Hyderabad Zoo a few years later.

Upon his arrival at the hotel, Prime Minister Modi received a warm welcome from people of Indian origin and members of the Indian diaspora. He interacted with them and acknowledged their valuable contribution to strengthening the enduring ties between India and Seychelles.

Prime Minister Modi will remain in Seychelles from June 27 to 29. During the visit, he will attend the National Day Golden Jubilee celebrations as the Chief Guest and is expected to hold discussions aimed at further deepening bilateral cooperation in maritime security, development partnership, capacity building, environmental conservation, and collaboration across the Indian Ocean region.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar