New Delhi: India has sent out invites to leaders of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) countries, Kyrgz Republic and Mauritius for the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi on May 30 as he steps into his second term as Prime Minister.
President Ram Nath Kovind will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the prime minister and other members of the Union Council of Ministers at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday at 7pm.
The ministry of external affairs confirmed the development.
BIMSTEC includes Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The invitation to Kyrgz Republic is significant as the country is the current chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Modi is slated to attend the SCO meeting next month.
Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, who was also the chief guest at this year’s Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, has also been invited.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will miss her the event as she will be on a three-nation foreign visit, officials in Dhaka said on Monday.
According to a government release here, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq will attend the ceremony as the senior-most Cabinet member of the Bangladesh government.
News18 had reported earlier that Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena is set to fly down to New Delhi for the event.
Sources in the Sri Lankan establishment confirmed that Sirisena would visit India to balance ties with its neighbour.
Recently, he had visited China and his attendance at Modi’s swearing-in ceremony would send out a strong message of Sri Lanka being keen on keeping its momentum on ties with India, sources added.
Meanwhile, Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has also confirmed his presence at the function, said sources.
(With inputs from PTI)
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