Signalling his priority to engage with neighbours, Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi on Wednesday invited leaders from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries, including Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, to attend his swearing-in ceremony on May 26.
The Indian Express has learnt that there is a possibility of inviting heads of governments beyond the neighbourhood as well. Sources said while the initial invitations have been limited to the SAARC countries, the government may be open to hosting other world leaders as well.
Within hours of the invitations being sent out, South Block was informed that Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa will attend the ceremony, sources said. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be on an official visit to Japan on May 26, the sources said. Therefore, she will be represented by Bangladesh Parliament’s Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhary.
However, all eyes are set on Sharif’s response. His participation has not been confirmed yet. If that happens, he will be the first Pakistan Prime Minister to attend an Indian Prime Minister’s oath-taking ceremony.
The invitations were sent out by Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh, who wrote to the foreign secretaries of the SAARC countries, inviting their leaders for the ceremony, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said.
Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said, “The PM-designate Narendra Modi himself has desired that all heads of government or their representatives be invited for the swearing-in ceremony.”
The invite to Sharif was welcomed by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah while MDMK general secretary Vaiko, the first to join the NDA from Tamil Nadu, opposed the invite to Rajapaksa. The Congress said it was the new government’s prerogative to invite SAARC leaders. “There is no question of not welcoming…. It is the Prime Minister’s prerogative to call any foreign dignitary. We are certainly not here to interfere. It is part of governance,” party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters while responding to a question.
Apart from Sharif, Rajapaksa, Hasina and Karzai, the other SAARC leaders are Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom. This is for the first time that these foreign leaders have been invited to a Indian Prime Minister’s swearing-in ceremony.
Sources said the move underlines Modi’s priority on foreign policy in the neighbourhood, since they comprise India’s “primary interests”. Also, another factor to have played a role is the fact that all leaders in the neighbourhood called or sent congratulatory messages within 24 hours of Modi’s election.
Immediately after BJP’s landslide victory, world leaders including US President continued…
No comments:
Post a Comment