Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, 28 June addressed the Seychelles National Assembly in Victoria, declaring that the Indian Ocean unites India and Seychelles as 'old friends' rather than dividing them as strangers. The address marked the 20th foreign parliament Modi has spoken before, underscoring India's sustained diplomatic outreach across the Indo-Pacific and Africa.

A Friendship Older Than Diplomacy

Modi anchored his speech in history, tracing the India-Seychelles relationship not to the formal establishment of diplomatic ties 50 years ago, but to August 1770, when five Indians were among the passengers aboard the ship Telemaque that arrived at St Anne Island. 'That voyage sowed the path to many more who followed,' he said, adding that the bonds between the two nations 'were built by people, nurtured by families, and sustained by generations.'

The Prime Minister praised Seychelles' multicultural identity, noting that people from across the world had arrived on its shores over generations, bringing diverse languages, customs, and traditions, ultimately forging a shared Seychellois identity.

The Indian Ocean as a Strategic Connector

Modi framed the Indian Ocean as a civilisational and strategic bridge rather than a geographic divide. 'The Indian Ocean does not separate India and Seychelles; it connects us,' he said, articulating India's broader SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) doctrine in human terms. He emphasised that as maritime neighbours, the security and prosperity of one nation directly reinforces the other.

This visit comes a decade after Modi's 2015 trip to Seychelles — the first Indian Ocean nation and first African country he visited as Prime Minister — and coincides with Seychelles' 50th Independence Day celebrations.

Naval Presence and Defence Ties

Modi drew a symbolic arc across five decades of defence partnership, recalling that INS Nilgiri was present at Port Victoria during Seychelles' independence celebrations in 1976. Fifty years on, INS Tarkash and INS Ikshak are docked at Port Victoria for the Golden Jubilee celebrations. He affirmed that India deeply values the professionalism of the Seychelles Defence Forces and the Seychelles Coast Guard, both of which have trained alongside Indian counterparts for decades.

Honours and Regional Significance

Modi thanked Seychelles President Patrick Herminie for conferring upon him the 'Guardian of the Blue Horizon' award earlier in the day, describing it as an encouragement for all those working toward environmental conservation. He conveyed the 'warm greetings and best wishes of 1.4 billion Indians' to the people of Seychelles on the occasion of their Golden Jubilee.

The address adds to a list of parliaments Modi has spoken before, including those of Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Australia, the United States, Ghana, Ethiopia, and Israel. With India deepening its blue-economy and maritime-security footprint in the Indian Ocean Region, the Seychelles address signals that the archipelago remains a cornerstone of New Delhi's neighbourhood-first and ocean-first foreign policy.