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Modi to be sworn Indian PM

The Canadian Press - May 25, 2014 / 10:08 pm | Story: 115883

Indian Prime Minister-designate and Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party leader Narendra Modi pays his respects at Rajghat, the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi, in New Delhi, India, Monday, May 26, 2014. Modi, 63, will be sworn-in as the India's Prime Minister on Monday evening by President Pranab Mukherjee at the forecourt of the Indian presidential palace. (AP Photo /Manish Swarup)

Narendra Modi is to be sworn in as India's prime minister in a ceremony attended by a slew of foreign dignitaries — including the prime minister of archrival Pakistan.

Some observers say Monday's swearing-in could signal an easing of tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif accepted Modi's invitation on Saturday.

Pakistan and India have a history of uneasy relations and have fought three wars over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir since their independence from Britain in 1947.

Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party won a resounding victory in general elections. Modi has promised to revitalize the economy and restore India as a leading global power.

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