Ladies and Gentleman,

and Dear Students,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

and My Dear Students,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to meet all of you, a significant cross section of the Indian community residing in Seychelles, a country with immense natural beauty.

Let me begin by thanking the Seychelles Government and the business community in organising this meeting during my visit to your beautiful country. Today's meeting brings together businesspersons, investors and financiers both from India and Seychelles, for the purpose of fostering economic partnerships for the benefit of both India and Seychelles.

I bring to you warm greetings, good wishes and best regards from the people of India, from the Members of the Indian Parliament, and from the Government of India.

I am honoured to have the privilege to address this special session of the National Assembly of Seychelles, the pillar of democracy of your beautiful country.

Dear Friends,

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

His Excellency Mr Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa;

Dr. Rob Davies, Minister of Trade and Industry of South Africa;

Shri Sachin Pilot, Minister of State for Communication and IT of India;

Dr. Prabha Thakur and Shri Sanjay Dhotre, Members of Parliament of India;

Mr. V.B. Soni, Leader of the Indian Business Delegation;

I am honoured and deeply moved by this visit to Phoenix Settlement established by Mahatma Gandhi more than a century ago. I consider myself to be fortunate to be here. It was my long cherished desire to come to this revered site to pay my humble homage to Gandhiji.

I came to this beautiful country at the invitation of His Excellency Jacob Zuma, the President of the Republic of South Africa. I visited Pretoria and Cape Town, and had very fruitful discussions with the leadership of this important country, with whom we enjoy close and strategic relations, straddling the Indian Ocean.