Indian High Commissioner Kartik Pande Pays Farewell Call on President Ramkalawan
VICTORIA, Seychelles — The outgoing Indian High Commissioner to Seychelles, Kartik Pande, paid a farewell visit to the head of state, President Wavel Ramkalawan, at State House yesterday morning. Mr Pande began his mission in Seychelles in November 2022.
Speaking to the local media, Mr Pande reflected on his years of service, describing the experience as deeply rewarding. ‘I would say that this was one of the most wonderful and enriching experiences of my life. Seychelles and India have a very cordial and friendly relationship. Seychelles is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever seen. The people are very friendly, and the relationship is very strong. So it was a tremendously positive experience,’ he said.
The outgoing High Commissioner emphasised that ties between the two nations have grown stronger across multiple sectors, adding that the two countries have always had very good, cordial and strong political relations. ‘There have been a lot of exchanges in people-to-people contacts, environment, and institutional cooperation. Defence is something I don’t even need to mention, because Indian ships come regularly here. They also work alongside the Seychelles Defence Forces in the Exclusive Economic Zone surveillance, among other areas. Overall, it is a comprehensive relationship, and in all areas we have seen a lot of strengthening which paves the way for future cooperation.’ Mr Pande’s hope is that there will be more Seychellois training in India and in turn, more Indian tourists will come visit Seychelles to deepen the overall cooperation. ‘A lot of groundwork has already been done, so I am sure my successor will have an easier task.’ The High Commissioner will now return to India briefly before taking up his new post as Deputy High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom.
