Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu and Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay arrived in Delhi on Sunday to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi.
After Muizzu became president of the island nation on November 17 last year, this is his first visit to India since then.
Leaders of seven nations from India’s neighboring regions and the Indian Ocean region, including Jugnauth, Muizzu and Tobgay, are present this afternoon at the Rashtrapati Bhavan for the swearing-in ceremony of Modi and his council of ministers.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, stated on “X”: “President @MMuizzu of the Maldives is warmly welcomed in New Delhi to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers.”
“India and Maldives are maritime partners and close neighbors,” he said.
Ahmed Afif, vice president of Seychelles, and Sheikh Hasina, president of Bangladesh, arrived in Delhi on Saturday, according to PTI reports.
Upon Tobgay’s arrival, Jaiswal declared that the visit would “further strengthen the close ties of friendship and cooperation between India and Bhutan.”
Leaders Pushpa Kamal Dahal `Prachanda` of Nepal and President Ranil Wickremesinghe of Sri Lanka were among those attending the ceremony, in addition to Muizzu, Tobgay, Jugnauth, Hasina and Afif.
Muizzu received an invitation from New Delhi to the swearing-in ceremony, which took on significance given the tense relations between India and Maldives at the time, according to the agency.
On Saturday, Muizzu said he looked forward to working with Modi to further strengthen close relations with India, noting that the relationship between the two countries is heading in a “positive direction.”
Ties between India and the Maldives have come under severe strain since Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took office.
Within hours of taking oath, he had demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from his country. Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians earlier this month.
The Ministry of External Affairs said: “The leaders’ visit to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his third consecutive term is in line with the top priority accorded by India to its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy as its “SAGAR” policy. `vision.’
Under the more comprehensive SAGAR, or Security and Growth for All in the Region, policy framework, India has been collaborating with nations in the Indian Ocean region.
According to PTI reports, apart from participating in the swearing-in ceremony, President Droupadi Murmu will host a lunch for international leaders.
Modi is likely to hold separate bilateral meetings with foreign leaders.
After a massive election victory for the BJP, leaders from countries in the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) regional group attended Modi’s first swearing-in ceremony as he took the reins as prime minister.
Leaders of BIMSTEC countries attended Modi’s swearing-in ceremony, in 2019, when he became prime minister for the second consecutive term, as reported by PTI.
In the most recent Lok Sabha elections, the BJP did not get a majority on its own, but the party-led alliance did get 293 seats out of 543. There are 272 votes in favor in the lower house.