External affairs minister Salman Khurshid is on a two-day visit to Bhutan to enhance bilateral ties and economic partnership between both countries. This is his first ever visit to mountain kingdom after becoming the minister for external affairs.
“What I urged the government of Bhutan is to look at India and Bhutan becoming economic partners. To look at innovative ways of taking up challenges of our times, opportunities that global economic trends offer and take us beyond development partnership to economic partnership,” Khurshid said after his meeting with Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigmi Y Thinely and with the Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister-in-Charge for Foreign Affairs Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk.
He also highlighted the need to enhance cooperation in hydropower development and using Bhutan as hub. In 2011 the bilateral trade reached Rs 61.6 billion which constitutes 72% of Bhutan’s total imports and 85 per cent of its exports, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.
During the visit he will be meeting Bhutan’s king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. He will also address a gathering with Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth King of Bhutan.
