Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the king of Bhutan, landed in India on Monday for a three-day trip. He is accompanied by top members of the Royal Government of Bhutan, including Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade Tandi Dorji. He was met at the New Delhi airport by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who stated that the tour will “further strengthen” the special and close relationship between India and Bhutan.
“It is an honor to greet Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, His Majesty the King of Bhutan, to India. His visit will further solidify the special and close relationship between India and Bhutan, he stated on Twitter. The King of Bhutan will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu while in India. EAM Jaishankar and other high-ranking officials will visit him while he is in New Delhi. The visit would give both parties a chance to assess their bilateral cooperation and progress their strong bilateral relationship, including their cooperation on economic and development issues.
REGULAR HIGH-LEVEL VISITS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES
The visit will carry on a special friendship that has been nurtured by a custom of frequent high-level travel between the two nations. While EAM S Jaishankar toured Bhutan in 2019 and April 2022, Prime Minister Modi went there in August 2019. In January 2023, Bhutan was visited by Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra. The Bhutanese PM toured India in 2018 and 2019, while the King of Bhutan made a transit stopover there in September 2022. Bhutan’s Foreign Secretary and Foreign Minister both traveled to India in 2019 and 2022, respectively.
INDIA-BHUTAN ECONOMIC & TRADE PARTNERSHIP
India has long been Bhutan’s top commercial partner and continues to be the country from which most foreign capital is invested there. Recall that the Government of India officially opened seven new trade routes for Bhutan’s bilateral and transit commerce with India in November 2021. In addition, new market access was made available to enable the formal export of 12 agricultural goods from Bhutan to India. Various special exceptions and export quotas were also made available.
India has long been Bhutan’s top commercial partner and continues to be the country from which most foreign capital is invested there. Recall that the Government of India officially opened seven new trade routes for Bhutan’s bilateral and transit commerce with India in November 2021. In addition, new market access was made available to enable the formal export of 12 agricultural goods from Bhutan to India. Various special exceptions and export quotas were also made available.
SPACE A NEW AREA OF BILATERAL COOPERATION
2019 saw the simultaneous opening of the South Asia Satellite (SAS) Ground Earth Station in Thimphu by the prime ministers of the two nations. With the help of the Indian Space Research Organization, the complex was built. (ISRO). A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the peaceful uses of space was signed by India and Bhutan in November 2020, and domain specialists are currently being trained.
On November 26, 2022, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle of the ISRO propelled the India-Bhutan SAT into orbit. (PSLV). During the ISRO Chairman’s tour, the satellite’s ground station was officially opened. The India-Bhutan SAT will provide Bhutan with high-resolution images for the administration of its natural resources. Beyond the conventional areas of cooperation, the two nations have also worked together on newer initiatives focused on STEM, the construction of digital infrastructure like the Third International Internet Gateway, and the integration of Bhutan’s DrukRen with India’s National Knowledge Network.
Source -India News Network
