Seychelles won't move forward on naval project with India: President Danny Faure

NEW DELHI: Even as India gears up to welcome Seychelles President Danny Faure to a state visit here on June 25, Seychelles has cancelled the agreement with India to build a military facility on Assumption Island.
In a press conference earlier this month, Seychelles president Danny Faure said he would not discuss the Assumption Island project with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he comes here. Announcing that the project was, for all intents and purposes, dead, he said Seychelles would build it with its own funds next year.
“In next year’s budget, we will put aside funds for us to build a (Seychelles) Coast Guard facility on Assumption ourselves.It is important to ensure that we have a military post in this area,” Faure said. Foreign secretary, Vijay Gokhale, travelled to Victoria recently but was apparently unable to revive the deal, which was renegotiated and signed by his predecessor S Jaishankar in January. By the end of the visit, it had become apparent that the deal could not be rescued.

Media reports from Seychelles said the government blamed the opposition leader, Indian-origin Ramkalawan, who had agreed to it after a visit to India, but later reneged on his approval. The deal cannot go through without the opposition being on board.
However, India will try to work out a different deal with Seychelles, sources said. A defence portal said Seychelles might be looking at a maritime security deal with France instead. This was aired by senior French defence officials in Seychelles, saying France needed a military base in Seychelles to protect French citizens in the Indian Ocean region.
Earlier this year, India signed a logistics agreement with France in the Indian Ocean, which would give India access to French bases in this region.