Modi in Seychelles seals 19 outcomes, pitches Indian Ocean partnership

Newdelhi,UPDATED: Jun 28, 2026 17:16 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday used his visit to Seychelles to push for deeper cooperation across defence, maritime security, digital payments, space, health, agriculture and education, while also highlighting climate concerns facing island nations. India and Seychelles announced 19 outcomes after Modi's talks with President Patrick Herminie, widening ties across several sectors.

In other developments, a Bangladeshi tribunal sentenced three police officers to death over the 2024 student protest, a senior Indian official in Washington said the private sector would be indispensable to India-US work in strategic technologies, Pakistani forces said they killed six terrorists after an attack on a Rangers base in Karachi, and Iran struck Bahrain and Kuwait after US airstrikes and threatened a "complete halt" to talks if Washington continued its attacks.

Addressing the Assembly of Seychelles, Modi said the "Global South", especially island nations, was bearing the brunt of climate change and called for equitable climate action. He also said India's vision was to make the Indian Ocean an "ocean of opportunity", with maritime security alongside economic prosperity and a partnership based "not on size but on mutual respect and trust".

During the visit, Seychelles conferred on Modi the honorary "Guardian of the Blue Horizon" title for what it described as his steadfast commitment to environmental conservation and advancing the aspirations of the Small Island Developing States.

The 19 outcomes announced by India and Seychelles followed talks between Modi and Herminie and covered areas including defence and maritime security, digital payments, space, healthcare, agriculture and education.

In Dhaka, a special tribunal sentenced three police officers, including the former police chief of Dhaka in absentia, to death on charges linked to attempts to tame the 2024 student-led violent street protest that toppled the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina's regime. In Washington, a senior Indian official said the private sector would play an indispensable role in turning India-US cooperation in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum technologies and critical minerals into real-world outcomes.

In Karachi, Pakistani security forces said they killed six terrorists and captured another alive after foiling an attack on a Sindh Rangers compound on Saturday night. Four paramilitary personnel were killed in the attack, which was described as the city's first major terrorist strike since October 2024.

In West Asia, Iran launched drone and missile attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait in response to US airstrikes and said negotiations to end the war would face a "complete halt" if Washington continued its attacks. The day's developments were marked by Modi's outreach in Seychelles and a series of security and diplomatic moves across the region and beyond.

With PTI Inputs

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