Patrick Hermine becomes President of Seychelles, Vice President of India Radhakrishnan will attend the swearing-in ceremony

New Delhi, October 24 (IANS). Vice President of India CP Radhakrishnan will be on a two-day visit to Seychelles from October 26. CP Radhakrishnan will attend the swearing-in ceremony of the country’s newly elected President Patrick Harmini on behalf of the Government of India. During the visit, which is being held at the invitation of the Government of Seychelles, Vice President Radhakrishnan will convey India’s warmest regards to Hermini and reaffirm the close, long-standing and time-tested relations between the two countries. “Seychelles is an important partner as part of India’s Vision Ocean and our commitment to the Global South. The visit underscores India’s deep commitment to strengthen and expand partnership with Seychelles,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Friday. India-Seychelle relations symbolize deep friendship, understanding and cooperation. “A small group of five Indians arrived in Seychelles in the year 1770 as plantation workers along with seven African slaves and 15 French colonists, and were considered the first inhabitants of the islands,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Diplomatic relations between India and Seychelles were established in 1976. When Seychelles gained independence on 29 June 1976, a contingent from the Indian Navy ship, INS Nilgiri, took part in the Independence Day celebrations. The Indian Mission was established in Victoria in 1979, with its High Commissioner based in Dar-es-Salaam and also assigned to Seychelles. The first Resident High Commissioner of the Indian Mission was appointed in 1987, while Seychelles opened its Resident Mission in New Delhi in early 2008. PM Modi visited Seychelles in March 2015. At that time, this visit of PM Modi was the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister in 34 years. During this, Prime Minister Modi signed four important agreements. These agreements included the inauguration of the Coastal Surveillance Radar System (CRS) project, the announcement of the gift of a second Dornier aircraft to Seychelles and a free three-month visa for Seychelles citizens to visit India. –IANS KK/ABM Share this story Tags