Why in news?
Seychelles President Danny Faure recently visited India for a bilateral meet.
What are the major outcomes?
- Assumption Island - It is one of the 115 islands constituting Seychelles archipelago.
- India plans for building a naval base here.
- The National Assembly of Seychelles recently refused to ratify the naval base.
- Given the absence of parliamentary ratification, the future of the project remains uncertain.
- But both countries now agreed to ensure mutually beneficial steps in this regard.
- Security - India clarified that security and strategic cooperation with Seychelles will go ahead.
- It announced several initiatives for Seychelles.
- It includes a $100 million Line of Credit (LoC) for purchase of defence hardware.
- India also gifted a Dornier aircraft to Seychelles.
- Developments - India is ready to finance 3 civilian infrastructure projects under Special Grant.
- India will send officials to Seychelles to support for projects that it decides for itself.
- Others - Both sides would intensify cooperation on hydrographical studies of the maritime region.
- They have declared exchange of necessary oceanic maps.
- In all, both sides sealed six agreements.
- One of the agreements will twin Panjim in Goa with Victoria of Seychelles.
What is the earlier agreement on Assumption Island?
- India signed a pact to develop Assumption Island, during PM Modi’s visit to Seychelles in 2015.
- The Island is leased to India for the operation of a naval base and air strip by the Indian navy.
- The deal was to include 30-year access to the base.
- It includes permission to station Indian military personnel on the ground.
- It is being financed entirely by India.
- But Seychelles retains full ownership of the facilities and sovereign rights over the island.
- Seychelles would “suspend” the use of military facilities in case if India is at war.
- This is because it is not a military base.
- It is seen as a major strategic enhancement of India’s Indian Ocean Region naval capacities.
- This would give India a foot- hold in the western Indian Ocean.
- The agreement will enable India to help Seychelles build military infrastructure.
- The island has been at the centre of high profile maritime diplomacy between India and Seychelles.
Source: The Hindu
