PM Modi Sits Next To President Muizzu At Dinner Event As India, Maldives Look To Turn A New Chapter In Ties

Maldives’ President Mohammed Muizzu was seen sitting next to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu late on Sunday evening, as both the nations look forward to working with each other on their shared interests.

After the swearing-in ceremony, the Prime Minister met all the invited foreign leaders in Rashtrapati Bhavan. The leaders congratulated him for taking oath as the Prime Minister of India for the historic third consecutive term.

While thanking them for gracing the occasion, PM Modi reaffirmed India’s commitment to its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and ‘SAGAR Vision’.

He also emphasized that in his third term and said that India will continue to work for the peace, progress and prosperity of the region in close partnership with the countries, even as it pursued its goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047.

In this context, the Prime Minister also called for deeper people-to-people ties and connectivity in the region. He further said that India would continue to amplify the voice of the Global South in the international arena.

Union Minister Dr Jaishankar Meets Muizzu

Union Minister S Jaishankar on Monday also held a separate bilateral meetings with Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu.

“Delighted to call on President Dr Mohamed Muizzu of Maldives today in New Delhi. Look forward to India and Maldives working together closely,” Jaishankar said on ‘X’.

Jaishankar was the external affairs minister in Modi’s previous Cabinet. He took oath as a Union minister on Sunday.

It was Muizzu’s first visit to India after he became the island nation’s president on November 17 last year. The ties between India and the Maldives came under severe strain since Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took charge of the top office.

The Maldivian Presidency in a press release said the meeting centred on enhancing bilateral ties, with both the President Muizzu and the minister eager to strengthen cooperation in areas of shared values and mutual interest.

“The meeting focused on bilateral collaboration, with both the President and the Minister expressing their eagerness to strengthen cooperation in areas of shared values and mutual interest,” the Maldivian ministry’s readout said.

World Leaders Present At PM’s Oath Ceremony

World leaders and leaders of regional allies were invited to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his council of ministers’ swearing-in ceremony on Sunday.

For the historic occasion, India invited some of the top South Asian leaders– including Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in lines of the NDA government’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.

Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth and President of Seychelles Wavel Ramkalawan were also a part of the grand ceremony.