NEW DELHI: In the middle of a controversy over Seychelles backing out of a bilateral security agreement which was meant to facilitate an Indian naval base on its territory, the president of India's maritime neighbour Danny Faure landed in India on Friday for a five-day visit.Announcing the visit, the foreign ministry said Faure was accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising two cabinet ministers, four secretaries of state and other senior officials.There was more bad news for India as Reuters reported from Seychelles that its parliament would not ratify a pact allowing India to build naval facilities on the archipelago's Assumption Island Indian officials continued to maintain that they were yet to officially hear from Seychelles on its decision to not honour the agreement signed in January. After public protests against the agreement, which would have allowed India to develop military facilities on the island, Faure announced earlier this month that Seychelles was not going ahead with it. "The government will not present the agreement to the National Assembly (parliament) for approval because opposition members (who are the majority) have already said they will not ratify it," Seychelles secretary of state for foreign affairs Barry Faure told Reuters. "Hence, the question of whether the agreement has been cancelled or not does arise - we will simply not take it to the assembly," he said, noting that the Indian side had already ratified the pact. This is significant as it comes just ahead of the Seychelles president 's meeting with PM Modi. India's agreement with Seychelles was crucial in the context of rapid Chinese naval expansion in the Indian Ocean.The foreign ministry said the president will visit Gujarat, Goa and Uttarakhand. "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 ," it added.<doc-sep>Image Source : MEA INDIA PM Modi with President of Seychelles Danny Faure Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held crucial bilateral talks with Seychelles President Danny Faure, who is on six-day visit to India. The defence and security ties between the two countries were the key agenda at the meeting. At the end, the two nations inked six MoUs and agreed to work together on Assumption Island project based on each other's rights. Days before the visit, Faure had said a joint project with New Delhi to develop a naval base at Assumption Island in his country would not move forward. There has been growing political opposition in Seychelles to an agreement it signed with India in 2015 to develop a naval facility at the island which would have given New Delhi a strategic advantage in the Indian Ocean Region. Faure’s state visit, part of regular high-level exchanges between India and Seychelles, will accord an opportunity to review wide-ranging bilateral cooperation including in the fields of defence and security and development partnership, the MEA had earlier said. Also read | Amid ongoing diplomatic tiff over Assumption Island deal, Seychelles President Danny Faure arrives on six-day visit to India Here are the LIVE Updates: 02:14 pm: PM Narendra Modi and President of Seychelles Danny Faure witness signing of 6 MoUs between India and Seychelles. 02:14 pm: Under leadership of PM Modi, India has visionary understanding of what's at stake, especially in terms of security and defence and to address challenges of our time when it comes to climate change, multilateral trade negotiations&bridge gaps of inequality: President of Seychelles Danny Faure 02:14 pm: We have agreed to work together on Assumption Island project based on each other's rights. : PM Modi. 02:13 pm: India announces USD 100 million credit to Seychelles for augmenting its maritime defence capability: PM Modi 02:10 pm: India, Seychelles committed to maintaining peace and stability in Indian Ocean region: PM Modi after talks with Seychelles Prez. 01:57 pm: Six agreements signed between India and Seychelles after talks between PM Narendra Modi and Seychelles President Danny Faure. 01:22 pm: Delhi: Seychelles President Danny Faure and PM Narendra Modi held delegation level talks at Hyderabad House. 12:23 pm: Welcoming the esteemed guest at Hyderabad House! PM @narendramodi received the President of Seychelles Danny Antoine Rollen Faure for bilateral talks. Special ties with a maritime neighbour, tweets MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. 11:20 am: PM Narendra Modi inquired about health of an IAF guard who fell down after a heat stroke at ceremonial reception of Seychelles President Danny Faure at Rashtrapati Bhavan earlier today 11:03 am: Relationship which is deep-rooted & historical! EAM @SushmaSwaraj calls on President of #Seychelles Danny Faure in New Delhi. Good discussion on expanding bilateral cooperation in all areas, specially capacity building, human resource development and people-to-people contacts, tweets MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. 10:07 am: Mutually beneficial relationship based on shared values and commitment to the ideals of democracy and development! President of Seychelles Danny Antoine Rollen Faure was accorded a ceremonial welcome @Rashtrapatibhvn by President Ram Nath Kovind and PM @narendramodi, tweets MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. 10:00 am: Seychelles President, who is here to hold crucial bilateral talks on defence and security ties with PM Modi, visited Rajghat and paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi before reaching Rashtrapati Bhawan earlier in the day. 09:39 am: I am in a great country. The relationship between India and Seychelles is excellent. My presence here is to take this relationship to newer heights: President of the Republic of Seychelles Danny Faure at Rashtrapati Bhawan in Delhi. 09:35 am: President of the Republic of Seychelles Danny Faure receives ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in Delhi. He was received by President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his arrival at Rashtrapati Bhawan. When Seychelles said no to India At a press conference on June 4, Faure had said Seychelles will develop military facilities at the island on its own and that the project with India “will not move forward”. He had also said the issue would not be discussed with the Indian leadership during his visit to New Delhi. India was keen on developing the Assumption Island as a naval base to expand its footprint in the strategically-key region where China has been trying to enhance its military presence. The agreement on the Assumption Island between India and Seychelles was first signed in 2015 during Modi’s visit to that country. An updated version of the original deal was finalised by the two sides earlier this year. However, opposition leaders in Seychelles came out openly against the agreement after the original document as well as the revised version of it surfaced online in March. The naval base on the Assumption Island was a crucial part of India's maritime strategy ''SAGAR' – Security and Growth for All in the Region', announced by PM Modi during a visit to Indian Ocean Rim (IOR) countries in March 2015. Image Source : PTI PM Modi unveiling a plaque during the dedication of the India-Seychelles cooperation project 'Coastal Survillence Radar System' in Mahe, Seychelles in March 2015. During his trip, which was first ever by an Indian PM since 1981, the prime minister had announced the ambitious SAGAR project to boost India's influence in Indian Ocean and strengthen ties with IOR nations. The decision by the Seychelles President to drop the deal in the face of protests over a perceived loss of sovereignty is a blow to the government’s maritime plans, which India hopes to use to counter China's growing influence in the Indian Ocean and Arab Sea through its Maritime Silk Route. It also comes amid India’s troubles with another IOR country, the Maldives, where the government has demanded that India withdraw two helicopters, pilots and personnel from its atolls that had been sent there to help with maritime patrols. Discussions regarding development of Assumption Island began in 2003, but were formalised in 2015, during PM Modi’s visit.<doc-sep>Seychelles President Danny Faure during his visit to Sabarmati Ashram, in Ahmedabad. | Photo Credit: IANS New Delhi: Seychelles President Danny Faure arrived at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel airport this evening. Faure, who arrived in Ahmedabad on Friday evening, visited the Sabarmati Ashram on Saturday at 10 am and stayed there for over half an hour. The President, who is on a six-day visit to India, also visited the archive centre, the library and the Hriday Kunj. Faure would also visit the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad and Gujarat Forensic Science University (GFSU) in Gandhinagar. During the visit, the President will also be visiting the states of Goa and Uttarakhand. Seychelles, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), lies 1,500 kilometres east of mainland East Africa. Diplomatic ties between New Delhi and Victoria have existed since Seychelles gained independence in 1976. The State Visit of the President is part of regular high-level exchanges between India and Seychelles and will accord an opportunity to review wide-ranging bilateral cooperation between the two nations in the fields of defence and security and development partnership, an MEA release stated. Defence and security cooperation between both the countries has deepened over the years with the growing piracy menace and other economic offences in the strategic Indian Ocean region. According to the Journal of the Indian Ocean Region, the sea lanes in the Indian Ocean are considered among the most strategically important in the world. It is vital for New Delhi to maintain its strategic interest in the IOR; however, Beijing is aggressively outmaneuvering India in this strategically important region. Inauguration of China’s first overseas military base in Djibouti last year heightened Indian insecurities and forced it to gain a foothold in the region. Seychelles has maintained strong ties with India but yesterday, ties hit rocky waters when Seychelles parliament said that it will not ratify a pact allowing India to build naval facilities on Assumption Island. India and Seychelles had signed an agreement in January to build military facilities on the remote island, but the project was criticised by the opposition members and lead to widespread public protests.<doc-sep>Seychelles President Danny Antoine Rollen Faure being welcomed by President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Monday. (Express Photo by Praveen Jain) Seychelles President Danny Antoine Rollen Faure being welcomed by President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Monday. (Express Photo by Praveen Jain) Seychelles President Danny Faure was accorded the guard of honour at the Rashtrapati Bhawan Monday. Faure, who is on his maiden bilateral visit to India, was greeted in a ceremony hosted by his Indian counterpart Ram Nath Kovind who was accompanied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Mutually beneficial relationship based on shared values and commitment to the ideals of democracy and development! President of Seychelles Danny Antoine Rollen Faure was accorded a ceremonial welcome @Rashtrapatibhvn by President Ram Nath Kovind and PM @narendramodi,” tweeted External Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. Seychelles President Danny Faure inspecting the guard of honour ceremony. (Express Photo by Praveen Jain) Seychelles President Danny Faure inspecting the guard of honour ceremony. (Express Photo by Praveen Jain) Faure, who began his India tour Friday from India’s western coast visiting the states of Gujarat and Goa, arrived in New Delhi on Monday morning and was received by Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar at Indira Gandhi International airport. Faure visited the Sabarmati Ashram Saturday and invoked the Gandhian ideals. “The principle of non-violence is what we need to teach the children of our world, and what was expressed by Gandhi many years ago remains relevant today,” he wrote at the visitor’s book at the Ashram. He also visited the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIMA), where he held a meeting with the institute’s director, Errol D’Souza. Seychelles President had earlier stated that the issue of building a naval base on the Assumption Islands would not be discussed with the Indian leadership during his visit to New Delhi. (Express Photo by Praveen Jain) Seychelles President had earlier stated that the issue of building a naval base on the Assumption Islands would not be discussed with the Indian leadership during his visit to New Delhi. (Express Photo by Praveen Jain) Ahead of Faure’s visit to India, Seychelles Parliament blocked a joint defence project that involved both the Indian Ocean region countries cooperating to jointly develop infrastructure for a naval base on Seychelles’ Assumption Islands. At a press conference on June 4, Faure had stated that Seychelles will develop military facilities at Assumption Island on its own and that the project with India ‘will not move forward’. He also stated that the issue would not be discussed with the Indian leadership during his visit to New Delhi. At a press conference on June 4, Faure had stated that Seychelles will develop military facilities at Assumption Island on its own and that the project with India ‘will not move forward’. (Express Photo by Praveen Jain) At a press conference on June 4, Faure had stated that Seychelles will develop military facilities at Assumption Island on its own and that the project with India ‘will not move forward’. (Express Photo by Praveen Jain) India has been eager about facilitating a deal with the African nation in order to augment its strategic hold in the Indian Ocean region as it faces tough competition from China which has been expanding its military presence across the ocean. Back in 2015, India and Seychelles had signed an agreement on the Assumption Island project during PM Modi’s visit to the country. Earlier this year, an updated version of the original deal was finalised by the two countries.<doc-sep>
Seychelles president Danny Faure, who is on his first bilateral visit to India, will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday and review the wide-ranging cooperation between the two countries New Delhi: Seychelles president Danny Faure, who is on his first bilateral visit to India, will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday and review the wide-ranging cooperation between the two countries, including in the fields of defence and security. Faure, who arrived in Delhi on Sunday after visiting Ahmedabad and Goa, was received by Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar. "Connected by 'SAGAR' – Security and Growth for All in the Region”! President of Seychelles Danny Antoine Rollen Faure warmly received by MoS @mjakbar at Delhi airport on his first bilateral visit to India," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. Connected by ‘SAGAR’ – Security and Growth for All in the Region”! President of Seychelles Danny Antoine Rollen Faure warmly received by MoS @mjakbar at Delhi airport on his first bilateral visit to India. pic.twitter.com/WSSJeipnUG — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) June 24, 2018 Faure landed in Gujarat on Friday as part of his six-day India tour. He visited the Sabarmati Ashram on Saturday, where Mahatma Gandhi lived between 1917 and 1930. Faure also visited the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIMA), where he held a meeting with the institute's director, Errol D'Souza. During the visit, Faure will also visit Uttarakhand. Faure's state visit, part of regular high-level exchanges between India and Seychelles, will accord an opportunity to review wide-ranging bilateral cooperation including in the fields of defence and security and development partnership, the MEA had earlier said. The visit comes just days after Faure said a joint project with New Delhi to develop a naval base at Assumption Island in his country would not move forward. There has been growing political opposition in Seychelles to an agreement it signed with India in 2015 to develop a naval facility at the island which would have given New Delhi a strategic advantage in the Indian Ocean Region. At a press conference on 4 June, Faure had said Seychelles will develop military facilities at the island on its own and that the project with India "will not move forward". He had also said the issue would not be discussed with the Indian leadership during his visit to New Delhi. India was keen on developing the Assumption Island as a naval base to expand its footprint in the strategically-key region where China has been trying to enhance its military presence. The agreement on the Assumption Island between India and Seychelles was first signed in 2015 during Modi's visit to that country. An updated version of the original deal was finalised by the two sides earlier this year. However, opposition leaders in Seychelles came out openly against the agreement after the original document as well as the revised version of it surfaced online in March.