Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay on Thursday began a five-day visit to India, his first foreign trip after assuming the charge of the top office in January. On the day of his arrival, Tobgay met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg (LKM) in the national capital. On meeting the Bhutanese PM, PM Modi greeted him with a warm hug.
PM Modi will hold wide-ranging talks with his Bhutanese counterpart with an aim to further bolster India-Bhutan ties. Tobgay was received at the airport in Delhi by Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey. "The visit of @PMBhutan is in keeping with the exemplary ties of friendship between India & Bhutan," external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on 'X'.
On Wednesday, the Union Cabinet approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Bhutan on extending cooperation in the field of energy efficiency. The Cabinet also cleared the signing of an agreement between Bhutan Food and Drug Authority (BFDA) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for cooperation in the area of food safety.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday said that Bhutan PM Tobgay's visit will provide an opportunity to the two sides to review the progress in the "unique partnership" and to discuss ways to expand the "enduring" ties of friendship and cooperation between India and Bhutan.
Tobgay's visit to India came against the backdrop of China and Bhutan looking at an expeditious resolution of their festering boundary row that could have implications for India's security interests, as reported by news agency PTI.