Shri Narendra Modi took an oath as India’s Prime Minister (PM) for his third consecutive term on 9 June 2024 in Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi. President Smt. Droupadi Murmu administered the oath to PM Modi and his colleagues. PM Modi congratulated all those who took oath last evening. He noted that the current team of ministers was a wonderful blend of youth and experience.
Furthermore, PM Modi pledged that the team would try their best to improve the lives of their fellow citizens. Several foreign dignitaries also participated in the ceremony. They were mainly from India’s neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean region. Shri Narendra Modi thanked them: “I am grateful to all the foreign dignitaries who joined the swearing ceremony. India will always work closely with our valued partners in pursuit of human progress.”
Among the dignitaries present in the ceremony were the President of Maldives, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Muizzu; the Vice-President of Seychelles, H.E. Mr. Ahmed Afif; the President of Sri Lanka, H.E. Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe; the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, H.E. Sheikh Hasina; the Prime Minister of Mauritius, H.E. Mr. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth; the Prime Minister of Nepal, H.E. Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’; and the Prime Minister of Bhutan, H.E. Mr. Tshering Tobgay.
Dr. S. Jaishankar took oath as the Union Minister in India’s new government. On 10 June, Dr. Jaishankar met with several dignitaries to discuss the bilateral relations between India and their respective countries. Dr. Jaishankar met the President of the Republic of Maldives, Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. The President’s Office, Maldives, tweeted, “Speaking at the meeting, the President congratulated the Union Cabinet Minister of India on his appointment. The President and the Minister discussed potential areas of further collaboration between the two countries.”
Dr. Jaishankar met with the President of Sri Lanka, H.E. Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, in New Delhi. The former tweeted, “Appreciate President Ranil Wickremesinghe of Sri Lanka for receiving me this morning in New Delhi. Recognized the steady progress in India-Sri Lanka relations.”
Meeting H.E. Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Dr. Jaishankar said, “The India-Bangladesh Maitri continues to advance.”
H.E. Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ met with Shri Narendra Modi and Dr. Jaishankar. The former wrote, “Had a meeting with Shri @narendramodi ji. I congratulated him on his third consecutive term as Prime Minister of India. We discussed ways to futher enhance Nepal-India relations. I am confident that our multifaceted relations with India will prosper under his leadership.” He met with Dr. Jaishankar and “discussed on further consolidating Nepal-India relations and promoting development cooperation and partnership in the days ahead.” He also met with President Droupadi Murmu and “had an opportunity to discuss the wide range of Nepal-India relations and enhancing mutual cooperation.”
H.E. Mr. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, the Prime Minister of Mauritius, attended the swearing ceremony of PM Modi and said, “Honoured to have been part of this important milestone of the biggest democracy on earth. I reiterate my heartfelt congratulations to Shri Narendra Modi Ji @narendramodi and his government for their historic victory. Long Live India, Long Live Mauritius.” After meeting Dr. Jaishankar, the latter tweeted, “Our conversation reflected the special bond.”
Dr. Jaishankar met the Prime Minister of Bhutan, H.E. Mr. Tshering Tobgay and discussed the unique and multifaceted friendship between the two nations. Lastly, he met the Vice President of Seychelles, H.E. Mr. Ahmed Afif, H.E. The ministers look forward to strengthening the long-standing partnership between the two nations.
The participation of the dignitaries is per India’s SAGAR or the ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region’ vision, which is the nation’s strategic vision for the Indian Ocean Region. The visit of the dignitaries also symbolises India’s priority to its ‘Neighbourhood First’ foreign policy.
