Jaishankar receives Bhutan King in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Bhutan King Jigme Wangchuk arrived in India on Monday for a three-day visit at the invitation of President Droupadi Murmu.

External Affairs Minister who received him at the airport said the visit will further strengthen the "close and unique ties" between the two countries.

Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar wrote, "Honoured to welcome His Majesty the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, on his arrival in India. His visit will further strengthen the close and unique India-Bhutan partnership."

The Bhutan king is accompanied by Bhutan's Foreign Minister Dr Tandi Dorji and other senior officials.

During his visit he will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu.

The visit is in keeping with the long-standing tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two nations.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and senior officials will also call on the King of Bhutan.

The visit of King Jigme Wangchuk will give both India and Bhutan a chance to evaluate the whole range of bilateral cooperation as the two countries have special friendship and cooperation which is defined by mutual trust and understanding.

The unique relationship between India and Bhutan has been preserved by a custom of frequent high-level exchanges between the two nations such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2019 and Jaishankar in 2019 and April 2022.

Moreover, in January 2023, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra visited Bhutan. Earlier in February 2023, a Parliamentary Delegation from Bhutan led by Wangchuk Namgyel, Speaker of the National Assembly of Bhutan called on President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Welcoming the delegation, the President said that India deeply values the multifaceted and unique friendship between the two countries.

The President noted that this year Bhutan would graduate from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group of countries and embark on the path of becoming a High Income Economy by 2034.

The basic framework of India-Bhutan relations is the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed in 1949 between the two countries, which was renewed in February 2007.

The bilateral ties have been advanced by regular high-level exchanges between the two countries.