NEW DELHI – Seychelles parliament will not ratify a pact allowing India tobuild naval facilities on one of the archipelago’s islands, a top foreignaffairs ministry official said on Friday.

The two countries signed an agreement in January to build militaryfacilities on the remote island of Assumption, but the project quicklyattracted criticism from opposition members of the tiny Indian Oceannation’s parliament and lead to public protests.

Opposition lawmakers had argued that allowing India access to Assumption,which is near a busy shipping route, would be surrendering territory toanother country and joint management of the facility with India underminedthe 115-island nation’s sovereignty.

“The government will not present the agreement to the National Assembly(parliament) for approval because opposition members (who are the majority)have already said they will not ratify it,” Seychelles Secretary of Statefor Foreign Affairs Barry Faure told Reuters by phone.

“Hence the question of whether the agreement has been cancelled or not doesarise — we will simply not take it to the assembly,” he said, noting thatthe Indian side had already ratified the pact.

He was speaking days before Seychelles President Danny Faure meets IndianPrime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi during a state visit due to starton Sunday.

President Faure had earlier told the local media the issue of a militarybase on Assumption island will not be discussed with Modi and that “theproject will not move forward”.

“In next year’s budget, we will put funds for us to build a coastguardfacility on Assumption ourselves. It is important for us to ensure that wehave a military post in this area,” he said.

The scrapped 20-year pact entailed building an airstrip and a jetty asIndia steps up a contest with China for influence in the Indian Ocean.

Last year China inaugurated its first overseas military base in Djibouti,near one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, heightening Indianinsecurities and pushing it to gain a foothold in the region.