South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to be 2019 Republic Day chief guest

The year 2019 will also mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. "Bapu's close link with South Africa is well known", Modi tweeted.

Image tweeted by @MEAIndia

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations in 2019 and the South African leader has also accepted the invitation to grace the occasion. PM Modi met Ramaphosa on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Argentina.  The year 2019 will also mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. After the meeting PM Modi took to Twitter to announce that India will be welcoming the South African President Ramaphosa as the Chief Guest on 2019 Republic Day "Glad to have met President Cyril Ramaphosa. At a time when India is marking the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, it is our honour to welcome President Ramaphosa as the Chief Guest for the 2019 Republic Day celebrations. Bapu's close link with South Africa is well known," he tweeted after the meeting. He said Ramaphosa's visit to India will further cement bilateral ties between the two countries. "The upcoming visit of President Cyril Ramaphosa, and that too during the special occasion of India's Republic Day will further cement business and people-to-people ties between India and South Africa," he tweeted.

Glad to have met President @CyrilRamaphosa. At a time when India is marking the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, it is our honour to welcome President Ramaphosa as the Chief Guest for the 2019 Republic Day celebrations. Bapu's close link with South Africa is well known. pic.twitter.com/mGnN0mDj0L

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 1, 2018

The upcoming visit of President @CyrilRamaphosa, and that too during the special occasion of India's Republic Day will further cement business and people-to-people ties between India and South Africa. pic.twitter.com/0K6qH17SyO

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 1, 2018

Following the meeting between Modi and Ramaphosa, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Ravish Kumar tweeted, "150 years of Mahatma & 100 years of Madiba!" This year marked 100 years since the birth of the global icon Nelson Mandela, also popularly known as Madiba, who died in 2013 at the age of 95. Kumar further tweeted, "Good meeting between PM Narendra Modi and South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa on margins of G20Summit. President Ramaphosa accepted India's invitation to be the Chief Guest at Republic Day during 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi."

150 years of Mahatma & 100 years of Madiba!

Good meeting between PM @narendramodi & South Africa President @CyrilRamaphosa on margins of #G20Summit. President Ramaphosa accepted India's invitation to be the Chief Guest at Republic Day during 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. pic.twitter.com/JzF8SZdaia — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) December 1, 2018