Neighbouring countries’ leaders attend Modi’s oath ceremony

New Delhi, June 9: Distinguished leaders from India’s neighbouring countries and the Indian Ocean region attended the oath ceremony, including the President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe, President of Maldives Mohamed Muizzu, Vice-President of Seychelles Ahmed Afif, Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda,’ and Prime Minister of Bhutan Tshering Tobgay.

Following the ceremony, these leaders were brought on stage for a commemorative photo with President of India Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking his third consecutive term.

Subsequently, they attended a banquet hosted by President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Notably, this visit is the first for the President of Maldives since his election victory in November 2023.

Given the previously strained relations between India and Maldives, the discussions at the banquet are highly anticipated, signalling a positive step towards restoring diplomatic ties.