Muizzu Arrives in Delhi to Attend Modi's Oath Taking Ceremony

India and Maldives are not in best of terms as bilateral ties between two countries were strained in recent times over criticism of Narendra Modi by Maldivian ministers despite the island nation's firefighting measures which came a tad late amid China's outreach to Muizzu.

New Delhi:Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, who is known for his China tilt and had sent hisForeign Minister, Moosa Zameer, on an official trip to India on May 9 instead himself visiting India, arrived in New Delhi on Sunday morning to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi.

Muizzu's breaking of the tradition of his predecessors, who preferred visiting India after taking over as President, raised eyebrows in April when Zameer visited New Delhi.

Bilateral ties between India and Maldives were strained in recent times over criticism of Narendra Modi by Maldivian ministers despite Maldives firefighting measures which came a tad late amid China's outreach to Muizzu. On Sunday, BJP leader Modi will be sworn in as the Prime Minister of India for a historic third time today at 7:15 pm. President Muizzu was received by Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India, Pavan Kapoor at the airport here.

"President Mohamed Muizzu of Maldives arrives to a warm welcome in New Delhi to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. Received by Secy (West) Pavan Kapoor at the airport. India and Maldives are maritime partners and close neighbours," Official spokesperson of MEA, Randhir Jaiswal in a post on X.

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.

He will equal Jawaharlal Nehru's record of becoming the prime minister of India for the third time after completing two full terms. Leaders from neighbouring countries and the Indian Ocean region are set to convene as distinguished guests at the highly anticipated ceremony this evening.

This assembly highlights India's unwavering dedication to its 'Neighbourhood First' policy and the 'SAGAR' initiative. Upon officially accepting the invitation from PM Narendra Modi for his swearing-in ceremony, the Maldivian President said 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".

In an earlier statement, 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," Muzzu's post read.

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 then 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.

Meanwhile other foreign leaders attending the swearing-in ceremony of PM Modi include President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe; 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.

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