New Delhi : Vice President CP Radhakrishnan has left for Seychelles to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Patrick Herminie, the President-elect of Seychelles, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Sunday.
In a post on X, the MEA noted how the visit would add further momentum to the India-Seychelles ties. "Adding further momentum in India-Seychelles bilateral ties. Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan has departed for Seychelles to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Dr Patrick Herminie, President-elect of the Republic of Seychelles."
Indian High Commissioner to Seychelles Rohit Rathish said on Saturday (local time) that Radhakrishnan's visit to the island nation of Seychelles will strengthen bilateral relations and reaffirm the long history of cultural and historical ties.
"We are honoured that the Vice President of India is visiting Seychelles on the swearing-in of the country's President, and it is a double privilege for us as it is the Vice President's first foreign visit. India and the Seychelles have a long history of bilateral relations and cultural and historical ties. We also share democratic values and a pluralistic society ethos," the High Commissioner told ANI here.
Vice President CP Radhakrishnan's visit to Seychelles aims to boost cooperation, and new areas of cooperation, such as AI, will be explored to address Seychelles' needs as a small island developing state. "This visit by the Vice President of India will be an opportunity for us to examine those areas of cooperation, maybe artificial intelligence, depending on the priorities of the government of Seychelles... I'm sure in the times to come, we will have new signature projects, new initiatives being announced by both sides to strengthen our bilateral partnership," added the High Commissioner.
India offers short-term courses in IT, renewable energy, audit, and tourism, empowering Seychelles' human resources. At the invitation of the Government of Seychelles, the Vice President of India, CP Radhakrishnan, will visit the Republic of Seychelles from October 26-27 to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Patrick Herminie, President-elect of the Republic of Seychelles, on behalf of the Government of India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in an official statement.
During the visit, the Vice President will convey India's warm felicitations to Patrick Herminie and reaffirm the close, longstanding, and time-tested ties between the two countries. The visit follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's earlier congratulations to Patrick Herminie on October 12, following his victory in Seychelles' Presidential Elections. Modi had expressed confidence that the long-standing ties between India and the island nation would grow stronger under Herminie's leadership.
The Prime Minister highlighted that the Indian Ocean serves as a "shared heritage" that connects the people of both countries and supports their aspirations. He said India looks forward to working closely with the new government in Seychelles to enhance cooperation across sectors.
Opposition leader Patrick Herminie emerged victorious in the Seychelles presidential election, defeating incumbent President Wavel Ramkalawan in a closely contested runoff, according to official results released early Sunday.
The election commission announced that Herminie secured 52.7 per cent of the vote, while Ramkalawan garnered 47.3 per cent. Herminie, representing the United Seychelles party, returns the political group to power after four years in opposition.