Male: Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed has congratulated Narendra Modi for being sworn in as the Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive term. He expressed happiness that Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu attended the swearing-in ceremony of PM Modi at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday.

In a post on X, Mohamed Nasheed stated, "Congratulations to PM Modiji @narendramodi for becoming PM for a third term. We are all very happy that the Maldives President is there to witness the historic event."

He also congratulated S Jaishankar for taking oath as Cabinet Minister. In a post on X, Nasheed stated, "Congratulations to Dr Jaishankar for taking oath as Cabinet Minister again. We salute your intellectual depth and knowledge of international relations that has brought the Indian Ocean Island Nations to safer shores."

Mohamed Muizzu arrived at Rashtrapati Bhavan to attend the swearing-in ceremony of PM Modi. Muizzu was seated alongside Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' and other world leaders.

Muizzu is among the distinguished guests who arrived in New Delhi to attend the swearing-in ceremony of PM Modi.

Narendra Modi took oath as Prime Minister of India for his third successive term on Sunday at an impressive ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan which is being attended by leaders from India's neighbourhood and Indian Ocean region.

President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Narendra Modi, followed by other members of his team of ministers. PM Modi was seen wearing a full-sleeved white kurta with churidar and blue half jacket.

Apart from two terms as Prime Minister beginning 2014, Narendra Modi also has the distinction of being the longest-serving Chief Minister of Gujarat with his term spanning from October 2001 to May 2014.

His previous two terms as Prime Minister have been marked by several key initiatives, including Ayushman Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Housing for All, Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Man Dhan Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana and PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, UDAN, Make in India.

On Sunday morning, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu arrived in the national capital on Sunday morning to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi.

Muizzu was received by the Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Pavan Kapoor at the airport here.

In a post on X, MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had stated, "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."

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, Maldives President Muizzu congratulated PM Modi and expressed his willingness to collaborate to enhance bilateral ties.

"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," Muizzu posted on X.

In response to the post, PM 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 is Muizzu's first 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.

This report is auto-generated from a syndicated feed