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Prime Minister Narendra Modi being welcomed during an event to mark the 70th birthday celebrations of the fourth king of Bhutan Jigme Singye Wangchuck, in Thimphu, Bhutan. (@MEAIndia/X via PTI Photo)
India and Bhutan are connected not just by borders but also by cultures, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday as he arrived in the Himalayan nation for a two-day visit.
“Our relationship is one of values, emotions, peace, and progress. When I became the PM in 2014, my first foreign trip was to Bhutan. Even now, those memories touch my heart. The friendship between India and Bhutan has great depth and strength,” a statement by the PM’s office quoted him as saying.
On Wednesday, Modi will join the 70th birthday celebrations of the former king of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi was received at the Paro airport by his Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay.
“I join the entire nation in welcoming my elder brother Prime Minister @narendramodi to Bhutan,” Tobgay said in an X post.
Modi held talks with Bhutan king Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck.
They inaugurated the 1,020 megawatt Punatsangchhu-II hydroelectric project developed jointly by India and Bhutan.
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King Namgyel Wangchuck led a prayer in presence of thousands of Bhutanese people at the Changlimithang stadium for the victims of Monday’s Delhi blast that claimed 13 lives. The Bhutanese leadership conveyed its heartfelt condolences on the tragic loss of precious lives in the explosion in Delhi and offered special prayers for all those affected by the blasts, Indian officials said.
After the bilateral meeting with the king, Modi posted on X, “Had a very good meeting with His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan. We covered the full range of India-Bhutan relations. We discussed cooperation in sectors like energy, capacity building, connectivity, technology, defence and security. India is proud to be a key partner in Bhutan’s development journey.”
The two sides agreed on an “understanding on the resumption of work on the main dam structure of 1,200 MW Punatsangchhu-I Hydroelectric Project”, according to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs.
It was decided that land would be granted in Varanasi for a Bhutanese temple/monastery and a guest house.
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A decision was also taken to establish an immigration check post in Hatisar (in India) across Gelephu (in Bhutan). Besides, a Rs 4,000-crore Line of Credit (LoC) to Bhutan was agreed upon, the statement noted.
Modi said, “We (India and Bhutan) supported each other in times of difficulty. We faced challenges together, and today, as we advance towards development and prosperity, this bond continues to become even stronger.”
Modi’s visit comes close on the heels of the exposition of the sacred Piprahwa relics of Lord Buddha, which have been sent to Bhutan from India.
Shubhajit Roy, Diplomatic Editor at The Indian Express, has been a journalist for more than 25 years now. Roy joined The Indian Express in October 2003 and has been reporting on foreign affairs for more than 17 years now. Based in Delhi, he has also led the National government and political bureau at The Indian Express in Delhi — a team of reporters who cover the national government and politics for the newspaper. He has got the Ramnath Goenka Journalism award for Excellence in Journalism ‘2016. He got this award for his coverage of the Holey Bakery attack in Dhaka and its aftermath. He also got the IIMCAA Award for the Journalist of the Year, 2022, (Jury’s special mention) for his coverage of the fall of Kabul in August 2021 — he was one of the few Indian journalists in Kabul and the only mainstream newspaper to have covered the Taliban’s capture of power in mid-August, 2021. ... Read More
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