(Seychelles News Agency) - Seychelles will receive a grant amounting to SCR35 million ($5.7 million) from India to finance high impact community development projects through a newly signed memorandum of understanding (MOU), said the Department of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.

The MOU was signed in New Delhi by Seychelles’ Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Sylvestre Radegonde, and the Minister for External Affairs of India, Ubramanyan Jaishankargg.

Another MOU was signed for cooperation between Seychelles and India in the field of youth and sports.

Discussions between the two ministers focused on the further strengthening of the bilateral relations between Seychelles and India, as well as regional and international issues of interest to both countries.

During his visit to India, Radegonde visited the Lalit Suru Hospitality School and held discussions with Vivek Shukla, the chief executive, on future collaboration in the tourism field.

Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, and India have a long and strong relationship as well as cultural ties.

India has undertaken many projects in Seychelles including the completion of the Magistrates Court and the installation of a one-megawatt solar plant on Romainville Island.

The one-megawatt solar plant on the man-made island is expected to produce enough electricity to meet the consumption of about 400 households.