New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a historic three-day visit to Seychelles from June 27 to 29. Prime Minister Modi has been invited as the chief guest as part of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Seychelles and the Golden Jubilee of Seychelles National Day.
The most interesting and unique attraction of this visit is that the Prime Minister will meet the world’s oldest tortoise ‘Jonathan’.
Who is the Guinness World Record hero ‘Jonathan’? Jonathan was born around 1832. That is, before Queen Victoria of Britain ascended the throne, this tortoise was born before Mahatma Gandhi was born in India. Guinness World Records has recorded the title of the oldest living terrestrial animal on Earth.
It belongs to the Aldabra giant tortoise species, weighing more than 250 kilograms and measuring more than a metre in length. While the average lifespan of this species is 150 years, Jonathan has surpassed it and has lived a healthy 194 years.
PM Modi will be the chief guest at the parade to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Seychelles’ independence. A contingent of Indian Navy ships and defence personnel are also participating in the parade.
PM Modi will hold high-level talks with Seychelles President Dr. Patrick Hermine. Discussions will be held on maritime security, blue economy, defence cooperation and measures to be taken in the Indian Ocean region to combat climate change.
The Prime Minister will visit the Seychelles National Botanical Gardens, where he will participate in a special tree planting ceremony as a symbol of the environmental concern of both countries.