Responding to a question on Misri’s recent visit to Bhutan, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, duirng a media briefing, said that the visit was focused on the India-Bhutan Development Cooperation platform and reviewing the bilateral development partnership.
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“This visit was for the bilateral India-Bhutan Development Cooperation platform. We have provided detailed information regarding the nature of the talks during this visit, where the development partnership between the two countries was reviewed,” Jaiswal said.
He said Foreign Secretary Misri also met Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and Foreign Affairs and External Trade Minister DN Dhungyel during the visit.
“Two agreements were signed during this visit: one regarding a Line of Credit, and another between the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and the Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan for cooperation in health education and health research,” the MEA spokesperson said.
Jaiswal added that further details regarding India’s development partnership with Bhutan, ongoing projects and initiatives inaugurated during the visit have been shared through the official press release.”Broadly, the objective was centred on our ongoing development cooperation program with Bhutan,” he said.
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Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Bhutan from July 30 to July 31 at the invitation of his Bhutanese counterpart Pema Lektup Dorji to co-chair the Plan Talks for Bhutan’s 13th Five-Year Plan (2024-29).
During the visit, India and Bhutan reviewed the progress of bilateral development cooperation under Bhutan’s 13th Five-Year Plan, with 12 new Project Tied Assistance (PTA) projects worth Rs 332 crore approved during the fifth India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks.
The two sides reviewed the implementation of India’s support of Rs 10,000 crore for Bhutan’s 13th Five-Year Plan, which includes Project Tied Assistance projects, High Impact Community Development Projects, the Economic Stimulus Programme and Programme Grant.
With the approval of the 12 new PTA projects, a total of 82 PTA projects worth Rs 6,860 crore have now been approved under Bhutan’s 13th Five-Year Plan.
The newly approved projects cover sectors including infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, urban amenities and disaster management.
During the visit, the two sides witnessed the exchange of an Umbrella Line of Credit Agreement between the Royal Government of Bhutan and EXIM Bank of India to operationalise a concessional Line of Credit of Rs 4,000 crore for energy projects in Bhutan.
The second agreement was a Memorandum of Understanding between AIIMS New Delhi and Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Science of Bhutan for collaboration on research and exchange programmes related to health education and training.
The two sides also discussed various areas of bilateral cooperation, including development partnership, energy, trade and investment, connectivity, people-to-people ties and regional issues of mutual importance.
The Indian side reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Bhutan’s development agenda, guided by the shared vision of the leadership of both countries.
India and Bhutan share a close partnership based on trust, goodwill and mutual understanding, with strong people-to-people ties between the two nations.