India - Seychelles Bilateral Meet

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