Addressing the National Assembly of Seychelles Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed for climate action, which must be based on justice, fairness and responsibility, while highlighting that the Global South, in particular, island nations, is bearing the brunt of the climate crisis.

"The Global South, and especially the island nations, are the most impacted by climate change. It is already having an impact on our coastlines, the marine ecology, climate and our communities," Modi said. He emphasized that 'climate justice' means those least responsible for climate change should not bear the heaviest burden, and added that this is the essence of the term. He also reiterated India's commitment to further collaborate with Seychelles to give due consideration to the issues of Small Island Developing States.

Modi termed the Indian Ocean a 'connector' and not a 'divider' between the two countries and Seychelles a 'large ocean country' with a maritime domain of almost 1.4 million square kilometres, rather than a small island state. He also commended Seychelles for taking the lead in advancing the blue economy concept, with innovations like Blue Bonds, even before it became a global talking point. He suggested expanding bilateral cooperation in the fields of fisheries, marine science, coastal management, renewable energy and sustainable tourism.

In terms of digital innovation, Modi praised India's digital public infrastructure as a model to scale opportunities, strengthen governance and deliver services to hundreds of millions of people, and offered to share India's expertise in the digital transformation of Seychelles.

Modi also reiterated the common vision of India and Seychelles towards a more inclusive world and international institutions that acknowledge the changing realities, and assured that India would continue to advance the shared interests of the Global South.