Thimphu, September 17 (Daily Kiran) : Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay on Thursday in Thimphu. During their meeting, Jaishankar presented 54 ‘Made in India’ electric vehicles to Bhutan, emphasizing India’s commitment to the nation’s progress and prosperity.
Jaishankar conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s best wishes to Tobgay. He expressed appreciation for the sentiments shared regarding the special relationship of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. “India is fully committed to the progress and prosperity of Bhutan,” he stated after the meeting.
While handing over the electric vehicles, Jaishankar noted that India is actively supporting Bhutan’s advancement in e-mobility and sustainable transport. “I am pleased to present 54 ‘Made in India’ electric vehicles to Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay,” he said, underscoring the collaborative efforts in this direction.
Earlier in the day, upon arriving in Thimphu from Bumthang, Jaishankar received a warm welcome from Bhutan’s Finance Minister Lyonpo Lekey Dorji. On Wednesday, he had visited one of Bhutan’s most sacred sites, Kurje Lhakhang, where he offered prayers. He later shared on social media, “I paid my respects at the sacred Kurje Lhakhang and prayed for the betterment of our people and India-Bhutan relations.”
Jaishankar also visited the National Cattle Breeding Center in Bumthang, where he presented 43 purebred Jersey cows from India to support Bhutan’s dairy cattle breeding program, aimed at enhancing milk production and assisting local farmers.
Additionally, both ministers toured the historic Wangduecholing Palace and Museum in Bumthang. They laid the foundation stone for the 500-kilowatt Lunana hydropower project in Gasa, which Jaishankar described as a “proud milestone” in the long-standing energy cooperation between the two nations. This partnership began in 1967 with Bhutan’s first hydroelectric plant, Jungshina, and continues to expand to reach Bhutan’s last unelectrified villages.
They also inaugurated the 65-bed Gyaltshuen Jetsun Pema Mother and Child Hospital in Mongar. Jaishankar remarked that this health center will significantly improve the quality of maternal and child care in eastern Bhutan.
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