PM Modi address following a meeting with President Ramnath Kovind at Rastrapati Bhawan in New Delhi on May 25.... Read More

NEW DELHI: India is redefining its immediate neighbourhood, without Pakistan . For Narendra Modi ’s second inauguration on Thursday, the government has invited leaders from Bimstec countries (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) — Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan — as well as Kyrgyzstan and Mauritius. But there is no invitation to Pakistan, a strong signal that India is not willing to engage Islamabad yet.

Confirming the invitation, the MEA said on Monday evening that the invitation was “in line with the government’s focus on its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy”.

In 2014, Modi had invited leaders of all Saarc countries to his inauguration, with the highlight being then Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif’s presence at the event.

By 2019, India’s approach to Pakistan has changed drastically. Despite overtures by PM Imran Khan , India has stuck to its position that terror and talks cannot go together.

In 2014, Modi and Sharif hit it off personally, but repeated terror attacks from Pakistan froze any bilateral process. This year, terror from Pakistan was a potent campaign issue and inviting the Pakistani PM at this point has no takers within the government.

“The president of the Kyrgyz Republic, who is the current chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation , and the prime minister of Mauritius, who was the chief guest at this year’s Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, have also been invited,” the MEA spokesperson said. The invitations were signed by the Prime Minister himself.

MEA’s chief of protocol Nagesh Singh held a meeting with the ambassadors of these countries to discuss the invitations. The presidents of Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Kyrgyzstan will come for the event. Kyrgyzstan is the SCO chair and its President Sooronbay Jeenbekov will use this occasion to formally invite Modi for the group’s summit in mid-June.

Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid will represent his country. For the second time, PM Sheikh Hasina will miss Modi’s inauguration. In 2014, Bangladeshi parliament speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury came in her place. Hasina is on a four-nation tour from Tuesday, which will take her to Japan and Finland, among others. She is expected to return only after celebrating Eid with her family.

It’s not yet clear whether Aung San Suu Kyi or President Win Myint will come from Myanmar.

Thailand will be sending a special envoy, either the agriculture or the transport minister. Gen Prayut Chan-Ocha will be in the midst of his own election as prime minister on that day. Nepalese PM K P Sharma Oli will come for the inauguration. Bhutan will be represented by its new PM Lotay Tshering.

Maldives has not been invited since it is not a member of Bimstec but the very next week, Modi will make his first visit to the archipelago and Sri Lanka.

The ceremony will be simple and follow the script of 2014. The dignitaries will arrive, following which there will be a couple of speeches and the oath-taking by Modi and his Cabinet. The foreign leaders will get an individual photo-op with the PM and President, but no bilateral meeting with the President is planned for that day. Following a group photo, the leaders will proceed to a banquet at Rashtrapati Bhavan .

Sources said the occasion will be like a celebration so no formal meetings will be held that day. The next day, however, the foreign leaders will call on Modi and have short bilateral meetings with him.

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In Video: BIMSTEC nations invited for Modi swearing-in ceremony, Pakistan left out