Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has officially accepted the invitation from PM-designate Narendra Modi for his swearing-in ceremony.
Muizzu Accepts Invitation To Attend PM Modi’s Swearing in Ceremony
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has officially accepted the invitation from PM-designate Narendra Modi for his swearing-in ceremony and the Council of Ministers of the GOI on Sunday, an official release of Maldives President’s office read. 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. 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.
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.
