Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's bilateral visit to India, scheduled to be held in the third week of June, is deferred as she is going to Delhi today (June 8) to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi as PM.
However, senior officials of the foreign ministry said both the prime ministers would have a meeting during her Delhi visit on June 8-10, but that meeting would not be a full-fledged bilateral meeting.
It is unlikely that she would visit India again in June for the full-fledged bilateral meeting, so it would be held later, Foreign Secretary (FS) Masud Bin Momen told the FE.
But when asked whether the PM's bilateral visit would be held after her scheduled bilateral visit to China in July, the FS skipped direct reply, saying the ministries concerned are working on the new dates.
Asked about the state of bilateral ties after the formation of new governments in both the countries, he said there would be continuity of the relationship, and new initiatives to strengthen the ties are expected.
Hasina last met Modi in September 2023 during the G-20 Summit held in Delhi.
Modi will take oath as the PM of India for the historic third term in a row on June 9 after his BJP-led NDA alliance won 293 seats in the elections for 543-member Lok Sabha, the lower house of Indian parliament.
Earlier, Modi invited Hasina to attend the swearing-in ceremony of his government, and she accepted the invitation.
According to the external affairs ministry of India, world leaders, including Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Nepalese PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal, are set to attend the function.
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