President Droupadi Murmu hosted a banquet last night in honour of the leaders of neighbouring countries attending the swearing-in-ceremony of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Leaders who attended the banquet include President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe, President of Maldives Mohamed Muizzu, 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.
Welcoming the leaders, the President thanked them for accepting the invitation for the
swearing-in-ceremony of the new Government, and for joining in this celebration of democracy. President Murmu noted that their presence on this occasion is yet another testament to the centrality of India’s ‘Neighborhood First’ policy, and our SAGAR Vision for the Indian Ocean region. She said, as stakeholders in each other’s progress and well-being, we count on our closest friends and neighbours to work with us to foster peace and prosperity in our region and beyond.
The President also wished Prime Minister Narendra Modi success as he took on his high responsibility in the service of people of the country.