Bimstec leaders confirm participation in Modi's swearing in

New Delhi, May 28 (IANS) Leaders from Bimstec countries as well as Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov and Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth have confirmed their participation at the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 30.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the ceremony will also be attended by Bangladeshi President Abdul Hamid, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Myanmarese President U Win Myint, Nepali Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering.

Thailand will be represented by its Special Enovy Grisada Boonrach. 

"We look forward to receiving the dignitaries in New Delhi for the ceremony," the spokesman said. 

While leaders from SAARC countries had been invited for Modi's swearing-in in 2014, India had invited leaders of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) nations this time.

The regional organization of states on the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal includes five South Asian countries - Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka and two from Southeast Asia - Myanmar and Thailand. 

The Kyrgyz President, who is current Chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and the Mauritian Prime Minister, who had been the Chief Guest at this year's Pravasi Bhartiya Divas, are the other invitees.