EAM Jaishankar on two-day visit to Bhutan from today: What’s on the agenda? | Today’s news
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is on an official visit to Bhutan from September 16-17 at the invitation of Bhutan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Lyonpo DN Dhungyela, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday.
During the visit, Jaishankar will hold bilateral talks with the Bhutanese foreign minister, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press statement. He will also receive a royal audience with the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, and invite the Prime Minister of Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay.
“The visit is in line with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between India and Bhutan and is intended to further strengthen the existing close ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries,” the ministry said.
The visit comes at a time when India is giving vital importance to its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.
Regarding earlier engagements with Bhutan, a high-level bilateral meeting on cooperation on transboundary rivers was held in New Delhi in August between a Bhutanese delegation led by Lyonpo Gem Tshering, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and an Indian delegation led by Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil.
During the bilateral meeting, both sides reviewed the ongoing cooperation between India and Bhutan in the water resources sector with special focus on transboundary river management, flood forecasting and flood management, sharing of hydrological data and other areas of common interest.
The ministers also reviewed the progress of the Punatsangchhu-I hydropower project, which is being implemented in Bhutan in collaboration with India, and discussed measures for its speedy implementation.
In addition, the two delegations held constructive discussions on proposals to upgrade and strengthen the existing hydrometeorological network in Bhutan, along with expanding the scope of cooperation under the existing mechanism for sharing hydrological data on transboundary rivers.
The two sides reaffirmed their joint commitment to sustainable and mutually beneficial management of transboundary water resources and agreed to further deepen bilateral cooperation in this area through sustained technical cooperation, mutual trust and regular institutional engagement.
Extending high-level engagement in the energy sector, Union Minister for Power, Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal also held a bilateral meeting with Bhutan’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Lyonpo Gem Tshering in New Delhi.
The meeting reaffirmed the special and enduring partnership between India and Bhutan in the energy sector, which has been the cornerstone of the close bilateral relationship between the two countries. The ministers reviewed the progress of ongoing cooperation and discussed the possibilities of further strengthening cooperation across the energy sector.
