DHAKA: Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif arrived in New Delhi on Monday for the swearing-in ceremony of his incoming Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in a symbolic meeting of the two regional rivals.

Sharif smiled and waved to television cameras after landing at the capital’s main airport, where he was greeted by Indian dignitaries and given a bouquet, ahead of the ceremony later on Monday.

Modi’s invitation to Sharif has been interpreted as a significant olive branch to India’s neighbour and it marks the first time that a leader from either country has attended his counterpart’s inauguration since independence in 1947.

Sharif, who has hailed Modi’s ‘impressive victory’, accepted the invite which was extended to all heads of government from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) that includes Pakistan.

BDST: 1405 HRS, MAY 26, 2014