New Delhi, 8 Jun

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived in New Delhi this afternoon to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi as prime minister on the evening of 9 June.

India on Friday formally announced that the leaders of seven countries from the neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean region will attend the ceremony.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, his Maldivian counterpart Mohamed Muizzu, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' will attend the ceremony, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, his Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay and Vice-President of Seychelles Ahmed Afif have also accepted India's invitation to grace the swearing-in ceremony, it said.

Hasina arrived in New Delhi this afternoon. Afif is scheduled to reach the national capital on Saturday. The other leaders will arrive on Sunday.

Modi is expected to hold separate meetings with the visiting leaders.

The invitation to Muizzu assumed significance as it came amid frosty ties between India and the Maldives. The ties between India and the Maldives came under severe strain since November last year when Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took charge as Maldivian president.

Within hours of his oath, he had demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from his country. The Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians earlier this month.

"The swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Council of Ministers following the General Elections 2024 is scheduled on June 9 2024. On the occasion, leaders from India's neighbourhood and Indian Ocean region have been cordially invited as distinguished guests," the MEA said.

In addition to participating in the swearing-in ceremony, the leaders will attend a banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, it said.

The swearing-in ceremony is slated to take place at 7.15pm on Sunday at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. "The visit of the leaders to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his third consecutive term is in keeping with the highest priority accorded by India to its 'Neighbourhood First' policy and 'SAGAR' vision.

India has been cooperating with the countries of the Indian Ocean region under the broader policy framework of SAGAR or Security and Growth for all in the Region.