 "Saarc leaders to meet Modi individually on Tuesday")
"It is a normal practice to have short meetings of a limited duration as a courtesy and gesture to the incoming guests," Syed Akbaruddin, spokesperson, ministry of external affairs, told reporters here on Friday.
However, he did not specify if these individual meetings would be with all the Saarc leaders who would come or key ones.
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Those who confirmed their participation are Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Maldives President Abdulla Yameen, Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay, Mauritius PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Nepal PM Sushil Koirala and Bangladesh's national legislature speaker, Shirin Chaudhury. The new government will also host a dinner in their honour.
At the time of going to press, there was no word from Pakistan on who'd be attending, although sources said there was a "very high possibility" that PM Nawaz Sharif will attend. The official word is likely on Saturday.
Maryam Sharif, daughter of the Pakistan prime minister said, on micro-blogging site Twitter, " I personally think cordial relations with new Indian govt should be cultivated. Will help remove psychological barriers, fear & misgivings."
"The presence of the leaders at the swearing-in ceremony will commence relations on a highly positive note and provide the occasion to identify priorities before challenges and obstructions come to the fore," said Neelam Deo, director at Gateway House, a Mumbai-based foreign policy think-tank.
It will be fitting if Modi's first foreign visit, even before the BRICS countries summit scheduled for July in Brazil, is to one of the neighbouring countries, she said.