Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has officially accepted the invitation from Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi for his swearing-in ceremony and the Council of Ministers of the Government of India on Sunday, an official release of Maldives President’s office read.
“Munu Mahawar, Higher Commissioner of the Republic of India to the Republic of Maldives, presented the letter of invitation to the President during a courtesy call at the President’s Office,” the release also said.
At the call, the High Commissioner extended greetings from Prime Minister Modi, stating that the Prime Minister is looking forward to having the President attend this momentous ceremony marking his third swearing-in as Prime Minister of India.
President Muizzu expressed his gratitude to PM Modi for the invitation, adding that he would be honoured to attend this historic event.
“He also stated that he looks forward to working with the Prime Minister to further strengthen the close relations with India, noting that Maldives-India relations are heading in the positive direction, as would be demonstrated by this visit,” the official release said.
The President also thanked the High Commissioner for personally delivering the invitation.
PM Modi is set for a third consecutive term as Prime Minister of India with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) emerging victorious in the parliamentary elections.
With PM Modi registering his win for the third consecutive term, wishes from global leaders also came pouring in at the speed of light.
In an earlier statement on June 5, President Muizzu congratulated PM Modi and expressed his willingness to collaborate to enhance bilateral ties.
He posted on X, “Congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP and BJP-led NDA, on the success in the 2024 Indian General Election, for the third consecutive term. I look forward to working together to advance our shared interests in pursuit of shared prosperity and stability for our two countries ”
In a reply to the post, Prime Minister Modi thanked Maldives President and said he looks forward to closer cooperation for further strengthening of bilateral ties between the two nations.
“Thank you President @MMuizzu. Maldives is our valued partner and neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region. I too look forward to closer cooperation for further strengthening our bilateral ties,” PM Modi posted on X.
This would mark President Muizzu’s inaugural official visit to India since assuming office on November 17 last year. Notably, Muizzu, known for his pro-China stance, diverged from his predecessors’ protocol by choosing to visit Turkey first and subsequently China for his first state visit in January.
Shortly after he was sworn in, President Muizzu stirred bilateral tensions by demanding the removal of approximately 88 Indian military personnel from the Maldives. These personnel were repatriated from three aviation platforms and replaced by Indian civilians by the May 10 deadline set by President Muizzu.
The counting of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was held on Tuesday. According to the Election Commission of India, the BJP won 240 seats, and with its allies has 292 seats in the Parliament. The Congress, on the other hand, registered a strong growth winning 99 seats. Other leaders also congratulated PM Modi and the BJP-led NDA government on their third consecutive victory in the Lok Sabha polls.
Leaders from the neighbourhood and Indian Ocean region have been invited as distinguished guests for the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Modi. These leaders include heads of State of Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Nepal and Bhutan.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in an official statement on Saturday said, “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, have accepted the invitation to attend.”
(with inputs from ANI)
