New Delhi, May 11
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh begins his two-day visit to Bhutan on May
16 where he will have the honour of being the first international leader
to address a joint session of the newly constituted Bhutanese
parliament.
Singh’s visit will coincide with the 50th anniversary of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s visit to Bhutan. Nehru’s visit in 1958 was important in laying the groundwork for a deeper engagement between “independent India” and Bhutan.
India and Bhutan have enjoyed a very close relationship over the decades and the latter remains an important, and probably the closest, ally for New Delhi in its strategic matters.
Incidentally, the honour being given to the Prime Minister by the Bhutanese government also reflects this close relationship the two countries have enjoyed.
Manmohan Singh’s two-day visit will give the two sides an opportunity to interact with each other at the highest level, especially since Bhutan took its first major step towards democracy.
According to reports, the Prime Minister will hold talks with the previous king, Jigme Singye Wangchuk, and his son and the present monarch, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk.
He will also have extensive discussions with his Bhutanese counterpart Jigne Thnley.
Reports said that during his stay in Bhutan, the Prime Minister would also dedicate the 1,020 MW Tala power project to the Bhutanese people and lay the foundation stone of another hydroelectric project with a capacity of 1,095 MW at Punatsangchu.
Bhutan’s economy has been one of the strongest in South Asia with its GDP growing at a steady seven per cent. It earns most of its revenues from export of hydropower to India.
Incidentally, with the close relationship, which the two countries have enjoyed, India has also undertaken a number infrastructure development projects in Bhutan. These include building of roads in the mountainous nation of 7,00,000 people.
The two countries had also signed a friendship treaty in 1949, which was extended last year. Reports suggested that the situation in Nepal, following the Maoist victory in the constituent assembly elections and developments in China, in the wake Tibetan protests, are likely to be the focus of discussion between the Indian Prime Minister and his Bhutanese hosts.
