 "Modi holds telephonic talks with Bhutan's King, Lankan president, PM")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended an invitation to the Bhutanese king and his family to visit India at a mutually convenient time during a telephonic conversation with him in which both leaders underlined the unique ties of trust and affection that bind their countries.
An official statement said that Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck spoke to the prime minister on his birthday on Thursday to convey his greetings.
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa also called up Modi to convey their warm wishes on his birthday and expressed their strong desire and commitment to further strengthen the relations between the neighbouring countries, it added.
"They expressed appreciation for the continued bilateral cooperation, including in the joint fight against COVID pandemic... The prime minister thanked both the leaders for their warm wishes and conveyed that he looked forward to working with them to further expand cooperation between the two countries in line with India's Neighbourhood First policy," it said.
In his conversation with the Bhutanese king, Modi conveyed his keenness to welcome his and his family in India at a mutually convenient date, the statement said.
The prime minister expressed his thanks to him for the guiding role that the kings of Bhutan have played in nurturing this special friendship between the two countries.
"The prime minister conveyed his appreciation for the effective management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Kingdom of Bhutan, and assured His Majesty The King of India's readiness to provide all required support to Bhutan in this context," it said.