May 18: Prime Minister Lyonchen Jigmi Y. Thinley hosted a banquet in honour of the Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh at the Taj Tashi in the capital.

Speaking at the banquet, the Prime Minister Lyonchen Jigmi Y. Thinley said the relationship that was founded by Pandit Nehru and His Majesty the Third Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck has blossomed today into a model of relations between two neighbouring countries.

He said as Bhutan walks on the unfamiliar path of democracy, we do so with a confidence that we have India by our side to inspire and support us. He said as a close friend and neighbour, we welcome the emergence of India as a global power in every sense. He said we believe that a stable and prosperous India is in the best interest of the region and the world at large.

Lyonchen Jigmi Y. Thinley thanked the people and government of India for their support since the inception of the first five year plan. He said in recent years the partnership between the two countries in the hydro power sector is changing the nature of our bilateral cooperation from a purely donor-recipient relationship to one of collaboration for mutual benefit.

Lyonchen Jigmi Y. Thinley also highlighted the importance of the 10th five year plan for the success of democracy in Bhutan.

"The success of the 10th five year plan will, I believe determine to a large extent the faith and trust of the people in democracy. It will also define the nature of democracy that will come to prevail in Bhutan. As the first democratically elected government, my government is particularly mindful of also the special privilege and responsibility of changing the course of democratic Bhutan’s relations with democratic India even as we remain deeply faithful to our King’s vision of common destiny more than my shared aspirations and values," said Lyonchen Jigmi Y. Thinley.

The Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh said a visit to Bhutan is a special occasion for any Indian Prime Minister. He said such visits beginning with Pandit Nehru’s historic visit in 1958 have led to the further strengthening and deepening of the truly unique cooperation and friendship between the two countries.

Dr. Manmohan Singh welcomed Bhutan into the fraternity of democratic nations and assured the royal government of India’s fullest support and cooperation.