Chennai, Tamil Nadu [India], February 5 (ANI): Seychelles President Patrick Herminie arrived in Chennai on Thursday on his first State visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The visit, which will continue until February 10, is his first trip to India since assuming office in October 2025 and coincides with the marking of 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
In a post on X, Ministry of External Affairs Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “Commemorating 50 years of longstanding and multifaceted India-Seychelles bilateral ties. Warm welcome to President Dr. Patrick Herminie of Seychelles as he arrives in Chennai for his first State visit to India.”
During his visit, President Herminie will meet the President of India and hold discussions with Prime Minister Modi on bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual interest.
President Herminie will also visit Chennai and Mumbai, where he is scheduled to attend business-related events.
“Seychelles is a key maritime neighbor for India in the Indian Ocean region and holds a special place in India’s Vision MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) and our commitment to the Global South,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.
President Herminie was sworn in as the sixth President of Seychelles at a ceremony held at Unity Stadium in Victoria in October 2025. Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan represented India at the swearing-in and later met President Herminie at the State House, conveying greetings on behalf of the Government and people of India.
The two leaders discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation and reaffirmed their shared vision for peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indian Ocean Region and the Global South. Vice President Radhakrishnan also met Seychelles Vice President Sebastien Pillay to discuss various aspects of bilateral ties.
“The visit of President Herminie to India, following the visit of the Vice President of India to Seychelles in October 2025, is expected to lend further momentum to wide-ranging cooperation and robust people-to-people ties between the two countries,” the MEA statement said.
India’s bilateral engagement with Seychelles is characterized by historical contacts and continuous support for Seychelles’ security. Today, India-Seychelles relations reflect close friendship, mutual understanding, and cooperation.
In 1770, a small group of five Indians arrived in Seychelles as plantation workers along with seven African slaves and 15 French colonists, and were recorded as the first inhabitants of the islands.
During the British colonial period, Seychelles was governed for a time from the Bombay Presidency, with regular shipping links and the flow of goods and essential commodities from India.
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