The military received a cache of arms and equipment on behalf of the Indian government on Tuesday August 26.

Chief of Staff for the Seychelles People’s Defence Force (SPDF), Colonel Leopold Payet, accepted a small sampling of the equipment from Indian High Commissioner to Seychelles, His Excellency Malay Mishra, at a ceremony in front of the Indian Naval Ship Investigator at the New Port.

Addressing the ship’s naval officers, a delegation from the Indian Army and various members of the SPDF and Coast Guard forces, HE Mr Mishra said that the donation of munitions and equipment was a gesture from Indian government that signified “the increasing collaboration in the field of defence” between Seychelles and India.

HE Mr Mishra said that it was a relationship arching back to the joint exercise performed in 2001 between the SPDF and the Indian Army.

The expansion of defence cooperation between the two countries, HE Mr Mishra said, will most likely culminate in the signing of a memorandum of understanding agreement when India’s vice president, Bharion Singh Shekhawat, makes his official visit to Seychelles next month.

Although only a small sampling of the arms was presented at the ceremony, HE Mr Mishra said the bulk of the equipment was in a container that was brought to Seychelles aboard the INS Investigator.

The consignment consists of machine guns, mortars, ammunition and other equipment, such as parachutes.

Colonel Payet said the SPDF would make effective use of the consignment and thanked the Indian High Commission for its longstanding working relationship with the military.

According to Captain Ken Maria, head of logistics for SPDF, the equipment would primarily be used for training, although a portion of it would be put in store in the off-chance that it would need to be used in live situations.

Commanding officer for the INS Investigator, Vinay Badhwar, later welcomed the ceremony’s attendees aboard the ship.

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