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'We'll stand beside you as friends': PM Modi invokes shared ties in Seychelles Parliament speech
Modi, who became the first Indian Prime Minister to address the Seychelles parliament, invoked the first Indians to arrive at the island more than 250 years ago
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday invoked the shared India-Seychelles ties while addressing the island nation’s parliament in Victoria, referencing the “samosas, celebration of Deepavali and the Garbha dance during Navratri”.
Modi, who became the first Indian Prime Minister to address the Seychelles parliament, invoked the first Indians to arrive at the island more than 250 years ago, saying their stories have become a part of the modern story of the Indian Ocean nation.
“Our friendship did not begin 50 years ago with the establishment of our diplomatic relations. It began much earlier, in August 1770. There were five Indians among those who arrived on board the ship Thélemaque at Ste Anne Island. That voyage showed the path to many more who followed. Over time, their stories became part of the story of modern Seychelles. It reminds us that the bonds between us were not created by government. They were built by people, nurtured by families, and sustained by generations. The Indian Ocean made this possible,” he told the Seychelles parliament members.
The Indian Ocean does not separate India and Seychelles. It connects us. That is why we meet not as strangers, but as old friends," PM Modi added.
PM Modi said that there were only a few partnerships that have been built on such a deep foundation and grow with such warmth, trust, and goodwill as India and the Seychelles, and urged them to continue building on this foundation.
“India will remain your trusted partner. We will celebrate your achievements. We will support your aspirations. And we will stand beside you as friends,” he said in conclusion.
20th foreign parliament address
This was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 20th foreign parliament address. Soon after assuming office in 2014, he began this journey by addressing the Parliaments of Bhutan, Nepal, Australia, and Fiji.
The following year, he addressed the National Assembly of Mauritius, the Parliaments of Sri Lanka, Mongolia, the United Kingdom and Afghanistan.
The journey continued with Prime Minister Modi's address to the United States Congress in 2016, followed by a second address in 2023, making him the first Indian Prime Minister to address a Joint Session of the US Congress twice.
Between these landmark engagements, he also addressed the Parliaments of Uganda in 2018, the Maldives in 2019 and Guyana in 2024.
The momentum gathered further in 2025, when PM Modi addressed the national Parliaments of Ghana, Trinidad & Tobago, and Namibia during his July visits, followed by the Joint Session of the Ethiopian Parliament in December, underscoring India's deepening engagement with Africa and the Global South.
Earlier this year, on February 25, PM Modi created history by becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to address the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, during his State Visit to Jerusalem.
