NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will represent India at the swearing-in ceremony of President-elect Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States, the government said in an announcement on Sunday.
The visit, he said, came after an invitation from the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee.
“During the visit, EAM will also meet with representatives of the incoming Administration as well as some other dignitaries who will be visiting the United States on that occasion,” the MEA said in its announcement of the visit.
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Trump’s inauguration will take place on January 20, and for the first time in US history, foreign leaders will be present at the swearing-in of an American president. Trump’s team has so far reportedly invited Chinese President Xi Jinping, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Argentine President Javier Milei and Salvadoran leader Nayib Bukele to the event.
While others are expected to participate, Xi is likely to send a high-level envoy to represent him, according to reports from Washington.
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Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, another leader who shares ideological affinity with Trump, is also on the guest list. The announcement about Jaishankar’s participation comes amid intense speculation, especially on social media, about whether Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would also be invited. Government sources did not comment on whether the invitation was specifically for the prime minister and whether Jaishankar was replacing him.