REGIONAL LEADERS ATTEND MODI'S INAUGURATION, HIGHLIGHTING INDIA'S STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

The presence of leaders from neighboring countries and the Indian Ocean region at the inauguration of Narendra Modi's third term underscores the importance New Delhi places on these nations.

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Attendees included Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Seychelles Vice-President Ahmed Afif, and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu.

In 2014, Modi's swearing-in saw the leaders of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) member states, while in 2019, the leaders of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) countries, along with Mauritius and Kyrgyzstan, were invited.

Bangladesh holds a unique position, having been invited to all three ceremonies. However, this is the first time Prime Minister Hasina attended in person. In 2014, she was on a prescheduled visit to Japan and was represented by the parliament speaker, and in 2019, former president Abdul Hamid attended as she was on a three-nation tour.