President Patil wraps up Seychelles visit, leaves for S Africa

Victoria: President Pratibha Patil on Tuesday left for South Africa on the second leg of her nine-day tour after concluding her "landmark" visit to Seychelles which hailed India's support in tackling piracy and thanked New Delhi for extending a USD 75 million financial package for it.

Seychelles President James Michel, who hosted a Cocktail Dinatoire in Patil's honour on Monday evening, said that whether it be in terms of defending the peace and security of "our ocean against pirates, or in strengthening our ability to empower the economic potential of our respective peoples, Seychelles and India have shown we can act together decisively".

"We thank India for her support in patrolling our waters, in assisting in air surveillance and not least, the positioning of an advanced radar system to ensure that our ocean becomes once again a space for development, and not a highway of anarchy," he said.

Seychelles hailed India\'s support in tackling piracy and thanked New Delhi for extending a USD 75 million financial package for it.

Asserting that India and Seychelles stand firm in the face of the "scourge" of piracy, he said: "We all know that this ocean is vast - and pirates have used this size as their weapon. But we know that our partnership and friendship are enduring and can provide the determination to overcome such challenges."

Describing the visit of Patil, the second Presidential tour in 22 years as "landmark", he said in these times of uncertainty, India's robust performance in the global economy has been further underlined.

(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)