- विज्ञापन -
New Delhi: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan was warmly welcomed by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar upon his arrival in New Delhi on Thursday for a two-day official visit to India. He was accompanied by Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck and senior officials from Bhutan’s Royal Government.
Jaishankar took to X to express his honor in welcoming the King, stating, “His visit will further strengthen our unique bonds of friendship.”
During his stay, the Bhutan King will engage in a series of bilateral meetings with Indian leaders to review diplomatic relations. This high-level visit, which concludes on Friday, highlights the deep-rooted ties and mutual respect between the two neighboring countries, according to an official press release from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The King is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, continuing the trend of high-level engagements between India and Bhutan. Jaishankar and other senior Indian officials will also meet with the King, focusing on strengthening existing collaborations and exploring new avenues for bilateral cooperation.
India and Bhutan share a remarkable relationship based on mutual trust, goodwill, and understanding, dating back to 1949 when they signed the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, which was renewed in February 2007. Formal diplomatic relations were established in 1968, further solidifying their partnership.
A key aspect of this bilateral relationship is economic interdependence, with around 50,000 Indian citizens working in Bhutan across various sectors such as construction, education, and infrastructure. Many of these workers commute daily from India to Bhutan’s border towns.
This integration reflects the depth of cooperation and shared prosperity between the two nations. In recent years, the scope of collaboration has broadened, moving beyond traditional sectors like hydropower to include emerging areas such as digital infrastructure, education, and space technology.
Bhutan was the second country to adopt the BHIM App, enhancing financial connections, and India has supported Bhutan’s ‘Digital Drukyul’ initiative, aimed at establishing a robust optical fiber network across all 20 districts.
Space cooperation is another promising area of partnership, highlighted by the launch of the jointly developed ‘India-Bhutan SAT’ in November 2022 following India’s Prime Minister’s visit to Bhutan in 2019. This initiative, along with other technological collaborations, demonstrates the progressive nature of their bilateral relationship.
In education, India continues to assist Bhutan in addressing the shortage of STEM teachers, enhancing the country’s human resource capabilities. The King’s visit offers an opportunity to review and advance these initiatives, further solidifying their long-standing friendship and exploring new areas of collaboration between India and Bhutan.
