Modi Strengthens Seychelles Ties with 19 Accords, Historic Parliament Address and Highest Honour

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday packed an eventful second day in Victoria with delegation-level talks, a landmark address to the Seychelles National Assembly , 19 bilateral agreements and a prestigious national honour, all against the backdrop of 50 years of diplomatic ties between the two nations.

Modi and Seychelles President Patrick Herminie announced 19 key outcomes covering defence, maritime security, digital technology, space cooperation, healthcare, agriculture and education, in what amounted to the most expansive single-day harvest in the history of India-Seychelles relations . Among the major outcomes were an extradition treaty, a pact on the peaceful uses of outer space, an agreement to advance UPI-based digital payments , an umbrella line of credit arrangement with the Export-Import Bank of India , and a framework to begin preliminary preparations for a new Seychelles National Hospital.

The day opened with a ceremony at the Seychelles Coast Guard Base , where Modi was conferred the ‘Guardian of the Blue Horizon’ , Seychelles’ highest distinction for leadership in environmental conservation and sustainable development. It is his 34th international honour from a foreign nation. Modi dedicated the award to all nations fighting climate change, saying he humbly accepted it on behalf of 140 crore Indians and committed India to making "our planet greener and sustainable."

Following the honours ceremony, the two leaders held delegation-level talks at the State House , after which Modi spoke at a joint press briefing. He described the Indian Ocean as a "shared home" and said India wants to convert the Indian Ocean Region into an ocean of opportunities, articulating the MAHASAGAR framework - Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions . He reiterated the $175 million Special Economic Package announced during President Herminie's India visit in February, covering social housing, transport, skilling, food security, education and defence.

On the digital front, an agreement between NPCI International Payments Ltd. and the Central Bank of Seychelles was signed to advance UPI-based digital payments in the archipelagic nation. A Jan Aushadhi MoU was also inked, aimed at providing quality and affordable Indian medicines, while a virtual ground-breaking ceremony was held for the Professional and Technical Centre , a skills and vocational hub that Modi said would elevate employability of Seychellois youth. Further agreements covered diplomatic training between the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service and the Seychelles Ministry of Foreign Affairs, agriculture research, recognition of seafarers’ certifications, and space cooperation.

In the evening, Modi made history by becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to address the Seychelles National Assembly in an extraordinary session. Drawing on centuries of shared history, noting that five Indians were among the islands’ first recorded inhabitants in 1770, he described Seychelles not as a small island state, but as a “Large Ocean Country” with a maritime domain stretching nearly 1.4 million square kilometres. He highlighted the cultural intertwining of the two nations, from Deepavali and Navratri to the flavours of samosas and kari koko, invoking the Creole spirit as the bedrock of their friendship. He cited the presence of INS Tarkash and INS Ikshak at Port Victoria for the Golden Jubilee celebrations as a symbol of defence solidarity, recalling that INS Nilgiri had been present at Seychelles’ first independence day in 1976. He also championed climate justice, saying those least responsible for climate change must not bear its heaviest burden, and urged global institutions to reflect contemporary realities.

Modi is scheduled to attend the Golden Jubilee National Day celebrations on Monday as Guest of Honour, before wrapping up the three-day state visit on June 29.