Indian prime minister-elect Narendra Modi has invited his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif as well as other South Asian leaders to his swearing-in ceremony on May 26, according to BJP spokeswoman Nirmala Sitharaman.
The US on Wednesday welcomed Indian government’s initiative to invite SAARC leaders to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi and said increased engagement between India and Pakistan is a “positive step”.
“Broadly speaking, we welcome increased engagement between India and Pakistan and their leaders and other leaders in the region and India’s engagement with its neighbours leading up to the inauguration,” State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters.
“We have not sent any invite yet. There is a proposal but we can’t share the details yet,” the official told AFP news agency.
Sharif, who is himself a centre-right leader, has hailed Modi’s “impressive victory” with many diplomats hoping the two men can engineer a thaw in ties between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
Sharif has cited his working relationship with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, India’s last prime minister.
For the first time, SAARC Heads of State and Government including Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina have been invited to the swearing-in ceremony.
“Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh has written to SAARC counterparts inviting their leaders to attend swearing-in ceremony on 26th May,” the Spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry said today.