Prime Minister Narendra Modi sat between Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe at a dinner banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday. This event followed PM Modi’s swearing-in ceremony, which saw leaders from neighboring countries in attendance at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Muizzu was seated to PM Modi’s left, with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe to his right, and Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal nearby. This seating arrangement underscored India’s commitment to its Neighbours First policy and the SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) doctrine, which are key components of Modi’s third term in diplomacy.
Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, who gained power through the “India Out” campaign, unseating the India-friendly Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, was among the foreign dignitaries invited to the oath-taking ceremony of Modi 3.0.
During Modi’s previous term, relations with the Maldives had soured, making Muizzu’s presence at the ceremony and banquet significant. It signals a potential reaffirmation of India’s Neighbours First policy amid tensions with some neighboring countries.
The banquet at Rashtrapati Bhavan was hosted in honor of the leaders who attended the swearing-in ceremony of PM Modi and his council of ministers. The attendees included President Ranil Wickremesinghe of Sri Lanka; President Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives; Vice President Ahmed Afif of Seychelles; Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh; Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth of Mauritius; Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda of Nepal; and Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay of Bhutan.