New Delhi: Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora of the Republic of Seychelles Barry Faure on Tuesday reiterated the two nations’ commitment to strengthening defence cooperation.
The Defence Secretary also met Chief of Seychelles Defence Forces Major General Michael Anselme Marc Rosette, said an official statement.
During the meeting, both sides reviewed the growing defence and security collaboration and reaffirmed their shared commitment to enhancing bilateral engagement and contributing towards peace, stability, and security in the Indian Ocean Region.
Both sides also welcomed the upcoming joint military exercise LAMITYE – 2026 between the Indian Defence Forces and the Seychelles Defence Forces and capacity building initiatives, and agreed to further enhance the scope and depth of these engagements.
Cooperation in the field of training, hydrography, ships and aircraft visits, defence delegation visits and maritime security were also discussed.
The Defence Secretary welcomed the participation of the Seychelles side in the upcoming International Fleet Review as well as the 2026 edition of exercise Milan in Visakhapatnam next week.
The two sides also discussed MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions), India’s vision for inclusive, cooperative, and sustainable security and growth across regions.
They underscored the importance of a collaborative approach to addressing shared challenges, particularly in the maritime domain, capacity building, and development partnerships.
India and Seychelles deliberated upon future avenues for defence and security cooperation between the two, with a focus on continued cooperation in capacity building through long term partnership in the modernisation of key military capabilities.
On Monday, Seychelles President Patrick Herminie acknowledged India’s support for the development, security needs and aspirations of the archipelagic island nation through Lines of Credit (LoCs), grants, capacity building and High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDP).
In his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two agreed to work closely in digital transformation.
Noting the need for Seychelles to digitise governance for the benefit of its people, India agreed to make efforts on the buildout of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), including digital payments, as per the needs and requirements of Seychelles.
(IANS)
