KATHMANDU, May 28: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has left home for New Delhi to attend Indian counterpart Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony being held later today.  

Leading a high-powered delegation, Oli departed for the Indian capital. Cabinet ministers and high-ranking officials bade farewell to the prime minister-led delegation at the Tribhuvan International Airport.

Oli among other leaders from the BIMSTEC member states will be attending swearing-in ceremony of Modi and other members of the Modi-led cabinet today 7 pm at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Indian President Ram Nath Kovind  will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Modi and his cabinet collegues.

On Friday, Oli and Modi will be holding bilateral talks at 11:30 am. Sources hinted that the duo will also have one-on-one meeting ahead of delegation-level talks.

Prime Minister's spouse Radhika Shakya, Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi and Foreign Affairs Advisor Rajan Bhattarai are accompanying in the prime minister’s entourage.

This is going to be the second visit of Prime Minister Oli to India since he came to power in February last year. Oli visited India in April 2018 after he reached at the helm of the government following the landslide victory in the elections.

Leaders from the BIMSTEC member states—Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan—are going to attend the swearing-in ceremony today.

In 2014, Modi had invited all SAARC leaders for his swearing-in ceremony.

Prime Minister’s Foreign Relations Advisor Bhattarai told Republica Online that the visit of the prime minister is expected to deepen bilateral ties with India.

“We want to further strengthen ties with India on the basis of mutual trust. Recent exchange of high-level visits have contributed to build confidence and trust at the political level,” he said. Prime Minister Oli will return home on May 31.

Modi is taking oath a week after he returned to power in a thumping victory. The counting of votes polled in the seven-phase elections to the 17th Lok Sabha had taken place last week.

Modi was elected unanimously as the leader of the National Democratic Alliance on May 25. 

 
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