India says Seychelles projects will follow host priorities, people's wishes

Victoria,UPDATED: Jun 28, 2026 21:12 IST

India said on Sunday that any project it undertakes in Seychelles will be guided by the priorities of the host government and aligned with the interests of the people of the archipelagic nation. Responding to speculation over India’s role on Assumption Island during a media briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the issue did not come up specifically during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ongoing visit, but New Delhi would be open to hearing about it if Seychelles raised the matter.

Misri also said India did not expect anything in return for its development assistance to Seychelles, describing the bilateral relationship as one based on respect, trust and friendship rather than transactions. He was speaking during Modi’s three-day visit to Seychelles, which began on Saturday.

"Any project that we undertake in Seychelles or for that matter any foreign country, is ultimately guided by the priorities and the interests of the host government and the authorities in the host country," Misri said. He added that India firmly believes that "any kind of cooperation, development cooperation, security-related cooperation or defence cooperation, must ultimately be aligned with the interests and desires of the people of the country".

"In this case, it must be aligned with the interests and priorities of the government of Seychelles and the people of Seychelles," he said. Misri added, "We have not specifically spoken about this during the ongoing visit, but it is something that we would be open to hearing about should the government officials raise this matter." He also said he understood that the Seychelles authorities had "some ideas" about the island. "I do understand that there are some ideas that the authorities here have about what to do, and if they feel that these are areas in which we can assist them, we would be very happy to do so," he said.

Assumption Island has remained a politically sensitive issue in Seychelles for several years, with earlier proposals related to development on the island triggering political debate in the country. Asked whether India expected anything from Seychelles in return for its assistance, Misri said the relationship was "not transactional". "These are relationships based on respect, based on trust, and based on friendship," he said, adding, "If you were to, you know, really press me hard and ask me what do I expect, I would say friendship." In effect, India said its approach to Seychelles would be shaped by the country’s priorities and the wishes of its people, while keeping the relationship rooted in friendship.

With PTI Inputs

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