Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister of Bhutan Dasho Tshering Tobgay expressed gratitude for the robust relations between Bhutan and India, and emphasised that “excellent relations” with India are a blessing for the Himalayan kingdom. He was on an official visit to India from March 14-18 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking at the ‘India-Bhutan Tourism: Expanding Horizons’ event in New Delhi, Tobgay underscored Bhutan’s aspiration to host more and more Indian tourists.
“During my first visit to Delhi, I wanted to meet the captains of the industries in India and, more importantly, the drivers of tourism in India…We have been blessed with excellent relations with India. We want more Indians to visit Bhutan. We want other nationalities to visit Bhutan as well but India is our immediate neighbour, and we want to be your host,” he said.
Tobgay, affectionately referring to Prime Minister Modi as “older brother,” reflected on the emotional significance of their recent meeting. “This visit has been very emotional for me. I know it’s because of the meeting with PM Modi, but I also realised that a large part of it is because I am back in Delhi, among friends,” he said.
Highlighting the multifaceted engagement between India and Bhutan, Tobgay stressed the importance of people-to-people connections. “Ultimately, it’s about people-to-people friendship and partnership that matters,” he affirmed, citing the significant number of Bhutanese pilgrims, patients, and students in India.
Tobgay’s official visit to India, his first overseas trip since assuming office in February, included meetings with Prime Minister Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, BJP President JP Nadda, and President Droupadi Murmu. Tobgay also extended an invitation to Prime Minister Modi to visit Bhutan
