NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, during his visit to Seychelles, was conferred the ‘Guardian of the Blue Horizon‘, highest distinction for leadership in environmental conservation and sustainable development.Accepting the honour, PM Modi dedicated it to countries combating climate change and reaffirmed India’s commitment to environmental stewardship and global cooperation.“It is a matter of immense pride and joy for me and for the 1.4 billion people of India to be honoured with the title of ‘Guardian of the Blue Horizon.’ I humbly accept this honour and dedicate it to all those nations that are battling the challenge of climate change and view environmental conservation as a responsibility towards future generations,” he said.
Highlights 50 years of India-Seychelles partnership
While addressing the press statement, PM Modi noted that his visit coincides with two significant milestones, the Golden Jubilee of Seychelles’ independence and the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.“My visit takes place at a historic juncture as Seychelles marks 50 years of its independence, and we celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Seychelles. Over the course of these 50 years, we have transformed friendship into trust, trust into cooperation, and cooperation into public welfare,” he said.Emphasising the historic maritime links between the two nations, the Prime Minister said the Indian Ocean has nurtured India-Seychelles ties for centuries by facilitating trade, cultural exchanges and people-to-people connections.
Says MAHASAGAR vision anchors India-Seychelles cooperation
Addressing the press further, PM Modi said India and Seychelles view the Indian Ocean as a shared home, with its security, sustainability and prosperity being a collective responsibility, adding that this vision forms the foundation of India’s MAHASAGAR initiative.“We believe the Indian Ocean is our shared home; its security, sustainability, and prosperity are our shared responsibility. This sentiment forms the foundation of our MAHASAGAR vision. The joint vision issued during the President’s visit to India in February of this year has laid the blueprint for our future partnership,” he said.
MoUs strengthen strategic partnership
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi held delegation-level talks with President Patrick Herminie to review the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.Following the talks, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of multiple MoUs aimed at deepening collaboration in key sectors and further strengthening the longstanding strategic partnership between India and Seychelles.External affairs minister S Jaishankar, national security advisor Ajit Doval and foreign secretary Vikram Misri were present during the discussions.
Seychelles First Lady hails PM Modi visit
Speaking to ANI, Seychelles First Lady Veronique Herminie said the visit symbolised the mutual respect and unity shared by India and Seychelles.“This is sending the right message to the world and to the people of Seychelles that there is a lot of respect, there’s a lot of friendship and the unity that India and Seychelles enjoys,” she said.Herminie also highlighted India’s contribution to Seychelles in sectors including healthcare, education and defence.