July 12: The Prime Minister Lyonchen Jigmi Y. Thinley will make a state visit to India from July 14 to July 17. The Prime Minister will be accompanied by the Minister for Economic Affairs, Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk, the Foreign Minister Lyonpo Ugyen Tshering, the Finance Minister Lyonpo Wangdi Norbu and other senior government officials.

A news release form the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says Bhutan and India share strong historical and cultural relations and have traditionally enjoyed close ties of friendship and cooperation.

It says an important factor in nurturing Indo-Bhutan relations is a well established tradition of exchanging regular high-level visits.

As India is Bhutan’s closest friend and neighbour, it is most befitting that Prime Minister Lyonchen Jigmi Y. Thinley’s first visit to a foreign country, after assuming the responsibilities of the first democratically elected Prime Minister of Bhutan in April 2008, is to India.

While in India, the Prime Minister will meet India’s President Ms. Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, other senior government officials and political leaders of India. They will exchange views on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.

The visit of Prime Minister Lyonchen Jigmi Y. Thinley will be an important milestone in Bhutan-India relations and will greatly contribute to further strengthen mutual understanding, trust and friendship between the governments, leaders and peoples of the two countries.