Rear Admiral R.K. Pattanaik of the Indian Navy reassured President James Michel of his country’s commitment when they met at State House in the company of Indian high commissioner Asit Kumar Nag.

Rear Admiral Pattanaik was here in command of the INS Mysore and INS Tabar – which called at Port Victoria on Saturday and left yesterday morning, heading for East Africa.

The admiral also met government ministers and high-ranking officials including secretary of state Barry Faure.

Based in Mumbai, Rear Admiral Pattanaik is leading a fleet of four warships with around 1,000 officers and 6,000 sailors in total – although only the Mysore and Tabar with a combined force of around 100 officers and 700 sailors called at Port Victoria.

He welcomed the local media on board the Mysore on Monday afternoon, when he explained that the ships are on a goodwill mission and also carrying out surveillance operations in the Indian Ocean. Patrol areas include the Gulf of Aden and the southern Indian Ocean from the Somali Basin to the Mozambique Channel.

Officers and sailors from the two ships also met counterparts from the Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG), joining in training activities, giving technical help and socialising.

An Indian Navy technical team carried out repairs to the SCG patrol boat Topaz and held training sessions for coast guard personnel in damage control, fire-fighting and “visit, board, search and seizure” techniques.

Rear Admiral Pattanaik said that during the Indian Ocean mission, the Tabar was involved in sinking a pirate mother ship and the Mysore in arresting several pirates.

“We have equal concerns on the issue of piracy, since it directly affects India as well,” he said.

“Almost 90% of our trade goes by sea, so our mercantile marine is susceptible to piracy.”

The admiral described Seychelles-India friendship as “very strong” and growing every year.