Seychelles President In India; focus on defence ties

Seychelles President Danny Faure is in India for a 5-day visit. This is his first State Visit to India and he will be in India from 22 to 27 June 2018. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising two Cabinet Ministers, four Secretaries of State and other senior officials of the Government of Seychelles. A business delegation will also be accompanying the President on the visit. President Faure will visit Ahmedabad in Gujarat and Goa, before the State Visit on 25 and 26 June 2018.  In Ahmedabad, he will visit prestigious institutions of higher learning including the Indian Institute of Management, and the Gujarat Forensic Sciences University. In Goa, he will visit the Indian Naval Air Station. President Faure will then go to New Delhi where he will meet Indian leadership. His official engagements include meeting with the President of India, delegation level talks with the Prime Minister, calls by the Vice President and the External Affairs Minister, and an address to the India-Seychelles Business Forum. The President of India will host a State Banquet in honour of the visiting dignitary. He will also visit Dehradun and visit  Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy. The MEA said that the "State Visit of President Faure is part of regular high-level exchanges between India and Seychelles, and will accord an opportunity to review our wide-ranging bilateral cooperation including in the fields of defence and security and development partnership."

No Assumption Island Deal

But the big focus will be Indian facility or what many would say Indian Military base on assumption Island. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Seychelles in March of 2015 both countries agreed to develop a military facility on the Assumption Island. The revised agreement was signed on 27 January 2018. As per the terms of the agreement, the facilities on Assumption Island will be funded by India, owned by Seychelles and jointly managed by both sides. That seems to be in trouble now. Days before his visit, Seychelles President in an exclusive conversation with Wion's Amitabh Revi said he won't put the Indian facility agreement on the Assumption Island for ratification in the parliament since it will not pass through.

Agreement that won’t go before our National Assembly: President to WION

The blamed it on domestic issues. He said "As President, I am the head of the executive but I do not have a majority in our Parliament, in our National Assembly and the difference between your system and our system is that a ratification has to go through Parliament. Although there has been an agreement, I have decided not to submit the agreement to National Assembly for ratification because I have received the signals that it won’t go (through). So, as we speak there is the agreement that won’t go before our National Assembly, but it doesn’t mean that the ambition of my government, my administration for us to have a coast guard facility on Assumption does not remain. We will continue to do that on our own as the government of Seychelles - to have a facility on that island, it is important because of what is happening around in our waters. We will continue to do that on our own". But he lauded India for not interfering in domestic affairs. He said,"India and its Prime Minister understand the Seychelles position. And what I am happy about is that there hasn’t been any moment where the government of India has tried to influence our domestic politics. India is a democracy, we are an evolving democracy and we are building institutions. "

So why does Seychelles needs a facility? First, it is part of crucial sea lanes through which much of Africa's trade with Asia passes and piracy is a big issue. Remember, Seychelles might have a small land area but its Exclusive Economic Zone is the size of South Africa and twice the size of Madagascar. 

China, A Worry

But what is the real reason for assumption island deal to fall apart..is China behind the decision? President of Seychelles'has rejected that. He said " Big countries, size of your country, size of the population, but genuine respect for a small country like Seychelles. Our relationship has never been one of being dictated by big country or a small country and I think it is in this context that I believe that Seychelles' relationship will grow with both India and China".This will be the third meeting between PM Modi and Seychelles's President this year. First at the solar summit in New Delhi, second CHOGM chogm summit in London. The visit happens at a time when China is increasing its presence in Indian ocean region. India will give a grand welcome to the president, but the assumption island deal will remain on top of the mind of Indian policymakers. China's predatory practices are well known in Maldives, Sri Lanka. The country is situated just 600 miles east of Diego Garcia which hosts American military base in China. Clearly, the stakes are high.

India to gift a Dornier aircraft

But defence ties continue to grow between India & Seychelles. India will gift Dornier aircraft to President of Seychelles on Tuesday. It will be handed over by India's ministry of external affairs minister. This is the second Dornier aircraft in India will be giving to Seychelles. India gifted one Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft to Seychelles in 2013 and had promised to give second Dornier aircraft by June 2018. Indian Coast Guard’s Fast Interceptor Boat C-405 (rechristened ‘PB Hermes’) was gifted to Seychelles in 2016. India gifted and installed six coastal surveillance radar systems in Seychelles in 2015 enabling better coastal security for Seychelles. A 45-member Indian Army team participated in the 7th India-Seychelles biennial joint military exercise “LAMlTYE-7” conducted in Mahé in Feb 2016.INS Sunayna, an offshore patrol ship, visited Seychelles in June of 2017 for participating in the Seychelles National Day Parade. INS Mumbai visited Victoria to undertake an anti-narcotics patrol for Seychelles. 

India's helping hand

India supplied 108 different medicines in four lots during 2016 to the country. The majority of medicines were for combating common infections, while others are to treat diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, etc. The medicines worth Rupees 3 Crore and part of US $ 8.76 million earmarked for the supply of medical equipment and medicines to Seychelles. Indian PM Modi had visited Seychelles in 2015, a first by any Indian PM since 1981.