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Leaders of seven neigh- bouring countries attend- ed the swearing-in of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Cabinet at the Rashtrapati Bhavan fore- court in Delhi on 9th June.
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After the ceremony, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Seychelles Vice-Presi- dent Ahmed Afif, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth, Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, and Bhu- tan PM Tshering Tobgay attended the ceremonial banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu, and met Mr. Modi.
“I am grateful to all the foreign dignitaries who joined the swearing-in ceremony. India will always work closely with our valued partners in pursuit of human progress,” Mr. Modi wrote on social media platform X after the ceremony.
Braving nearly 40 degrees Celsius evening temperatures, the leaders were seated side by side in the front row of the fore- court for the entire ceremony that went on for more than two-and-a-half hours. This is the first visit to India by Mr. Muizzu and Ms. Hasina after they were elected in November 2023 E and January 2024, respectively.
The inclusion of Mr. Muizzu, who met Mr. Modi in December last year, was significant as ties between Delhi and Male have been strained over Mr. Muizzu’s insistence on the withdrawal of Indian troops stationed in the southern atolls. Mr. Muizzu’s acceptance of the invitation indicates a reset in ties.
Mr. Tobgay attended the swearing-in for the second time after 2014. Ms. Hasina attended Mr. Modi’s swearing-in for the first time although she was invited in the past. Both Ms. Hasina and Mr. Tobgay also held bilateral talks on Sunday after- noon, discussing Bangladesh’s desire to import hydropower from Bhutan