Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets the gathering during the Druk Gyalpo Award Ceremony, in Thimphu on Friday, March 22, 2024. PM Modi became the first non-Bhutanese head of state to receive Bhutan’s highest civilian award ‘Order of Druk Gyalpo’.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, March 23, 2024, inaugurated a modern hospital built with Indian assistance in Bhutan’s capital Thimphu.

Mr. Modi was joined by his Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay in inaugurating the Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Mother and Child Hospital in Thimphu – a Bhutan-India friendship project dedicated to the people of the Himalayan kingdom.

Mr. Modi, who arrived in Bhutan on Friday for a two-day State visit to further cement India’s unique relations with the Himalayan nation, called on the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and held talks with Prime Minister Tobgay on Friday.

Bhutan’s King Wangchuck conferred the ‘Order of the Druk Glyalpo’ to Prime Minister Modi at a public ceremony here on Friday, making him the first foreign Head of the Government to receive the honour.

The award recognises Prime Minister Modi’s contribution to strengthening the India-Bhutan friendship and his people-centric leadership.

“It is with great humility that I accept the Order of the Druk Gyalpo. I am grateful to HM the King of Bhutan for presenting the Award. I dedicate it to the 140 crore people of India. I am also confident that India-Bhutan relations will keep growing and benefit our citizens,” Mr. Modi wrote in a post on X on Friday night.

India and Bhutan established diplomatic relations in 1968.

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

Thimphu:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today arrived in Bhutan on a two-day State visit to further cement India’s unique relations with the Himalayan nation as part of the country’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ Policy.

PM Modi was accorded a red-carpet welcome upon his arrival at the Paro airport.

He was warmly received by Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan, at Paro airport and accorded a ceremonial welcome.

Prime Minister Modi received a warm welcome, with the Bhutanese people lining the entire 45-kilometre route from Paro International Airport to Thimphu which was also decked up with Indian and Bhutanese flags.

The visit is in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between India and Bhutan and the Government’s emphasis on its Neighbourhood First Policy, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a release on Friday.

The Bhutanese prime minister wrote on X in Hindi: “Bhutan mein aapka swagat hai mere bade bhai @narendramodi Ji.”

Earlier, PM Modi posted on X about his visit to Bhutan.

“On the way to Bhutan, where I will be attending various programmes aimed at further cementing the India-Bhutan partnership. I look forward to talks with Majesty the King of Bhutan, His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo and Prime Minister @tsheringtobgay,” he wrote on X.

The visit, scheduled between March 21 and 22, was postponed due to the inclement weather in Bhutan.

During the visit, Prime Minister Modi will receive an audience with Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan, and Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth King of Bhutan. He will also hold talks with the Prime Minister of Bhutan.

The visit will provide an opportunity for both sides to “exchange views on bilateral and regional matters of interest and deliberate on ways to expand and intensify our exemplary partnership for the benefit of our peoples”, the MEA said in a statement earlier this week.

India and Bhutan share “a unique and enduring partnership which is rooted in mutual trust, understanding and goodwill”, the statement emphasised.

“Our shared spiritual heritage and warm people-to-people ties add depth and vibrancy to our exceptional relations,” the MEA said.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to receive a grand welcome at the Tashichho Dzong, a traditional Buddhist monastery and the seat of the Bhutanese government.

PM Modi will also inaugurate the Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Mother and Child Hospital in Thimphu, a state-of-the-art hospital, built with the assistance of the Government of India in Thimphu.

Bhutanese Prime Minister Tobgay was on a five-day visit to India last week, his first foreign trip after assuming charge of the top office in January.

He also held meetings with captains of various industries, besides other important engagements.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Thimpu:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Thimpu on Friday on a two-day State visit to Bhutan to further cement India’s unique relations with the Himalayan nation.

“On the way to Bhutan, where I will be attending various programmes aimed at further cementing the India-Bhutan partnership. I look forward to talks with Majesty the King of Bhutan, His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo and Prime Minister @tsheringtobgay,” the Prime Minister posted on X.

The visit, scheduled between March 21 and 22, was postponed due to the inclement weather in Bhutan.

The visit will provide an opportunity for both sides to “exchange views on bilateral and regional matters of interest and deliberate on ways to expand and intensify our exemplary partnership for the benefit of our peoples”, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement earlier this week.

India and Bhutan share “a unique and enduring partnership which is rooted in mutual trust, understanding and goodwill”, the statement emphasised.

“Our shared spiritual heritage and warm people-to-people ties add depth and vibrancy to our exceptional relations,” the MEA said.

During the visit, Prime Minister Modi will receive an audience with His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan, and His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth King of Bhutan, it said.

“The visit is in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between India and Bhutan and the government’s emphasis on its ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’,” the MEA said.

The prime minister will have an audience with Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, and his father Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth King of the Himalayan nation.

On the way to Bhutan, where I will be attending various programmes aimed at further cementing the India-Bhutan partnership. I look forward to talks with Majesty the King of Bhutan, His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo and Prime Minister @tsheringtobgay. pic.twitter.com/tMsYNBuFNQ

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 22, 2024

PM Modi will also hold bilateral talks with his Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to receive a grand welcome at the Tashichho Dzong, a traditional Buddhist monastery and the seat of the Bhutanese government.

Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay was on a five-day visit to India last week, his first foreign trip after assuming charge of the top office in January.

He also held meetings with captains of various industries, besides other important engagements. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)