New Delhi [India], September 18 (ANI): India and Bhutan further strengthened their “special relationship” across development cooperation, energy, fintech, education and conservation during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Bhutan, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday.
Addressing the biweekly media briefing in New Delhi, Jaiswal said Jaishankar’s visit from September 16 to 18, at the invitation of Bhutanese Foreign Minister D N Dhungyel, provided an opportunity to review the entire spectrum of bilateral ties and reaffirm India’s support for Bhutan’s developmental goals and priorities.
During the visit, Jaishankar paid a courtesy call on Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and called on Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay. He also held detailed discussions with Dhungyel on development cooperation, energy, people-to-people ties and other aspects of the bilateral relationship.
“External Affairs Minister reaffirmed India’s support for Bhutan’s developmental goals and priorities,” Jaiswal said.
Highlighting the outcomes of the visit, the MEA spokesperson said the two Foreign Ministers jointly inaugurated and launched five projects.
“One was a 65-bedded child hospital in Mongar. The External Affairs Minister handed over 43 Jersey cows from India to the National Cattle Breeding Centre in Bumthang. This will add productivity to the agriculturists, as also help in milk production in the country. They also inaugurated Jaganathan Bridge on the Samdrup Jongkhar-Trashigang highway in Eastern Bhutan. External Affairs Minister also handed over 54 electric vehicles to the Government of Bhutan, and there was a groundbreaking foundation stone laying of the 500 kW Lunana hydropower project,” he informed.
Jaiswal said the two sides discussed the energy partnership in detail, noting that it has made significant progress over several decades.
The External Affairs Minister also reaffirmed India’s strong support for the Bhutanese King’s vision of the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), with discussions focusing on steps to strengthen the project, including infrastructure support from India for immigration and related areas.
On digital cooperation, Jaiswal said India and Bhutan had welcomed progress in integrating fintech products between the two countries.
“UPI is already active; it is available, it is operable in Bhutan. And this facility has now been taken a step forward,” he said, adding that the facility would allow Bhutanese tourists and students to use it in several new ways.
“All in all, the UPI interaction between India and Bhutan has been strengthened and deepened further,” he said.
The two sides also discussed educational cooperation, with India expanding scholarship opportunities for Bhutan under various schemes.
Jaiswal said scholarships offered by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to Bhutan had been expanded, along with scholarships provided by Nalanda University.
The visit also saw the two sides welcome Bhutan’s ratification of the International Big Cat Alliance framework agreement, which Jaiswal said would give a further boost to India-Bhutan cooperation on environmental issues and conservation.
“Overall, it was a successful visit,” Jaiswal said, highlighting the joint press release issued by the two countries as an indication of the “togetherness and friendliness” as well as the “warmth and the special relationship” shared by India and Bhutan. (ANI)
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