On December 5, 2024, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan began a two-day formal visit to India. The goal of the tour is to deepen the already strong, mutually trusting, and understanding bilateral ties between Bhutan and India.
King Wangchuck will meet with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Reviewing and strengthening bilateral cooperation in a number of areas, including as economic growth and security issues pertaining to Bhutan’s border talks with China, would be the main topics of these talks.
The visit offers an opportunity to further the two countries’ partnership, which includes India’s substantial developmental aid to Bhutan, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stressed. Indian funding for Bhutan’s five-year plan has lately increased, from ₹5,000 crore to ₹10,000 crore.
Bhutan’s ambitions to build an economic center in Gelephu, a project that is personally meaningful to the monarch, are anticipated to be discussed. Another important issue is probably the ongoing boundary dispute with China, particularly in view of Beijing’s recent diplomatic attempts to reach an agreement with Thimphu.
The visit highlights the long-standing historical connections between India and Bhutan, which date back to their 1949 Treaty of Friendship and its 2007 renewal. This link has expanded to include domains like space technology and digital infrastructure.
Indian officials greeted King Wangchuck’s arrival with great warmth, ushering in a new era of high-level interactions between the two countries. His presence is regarded as essential to strengthening the close ties of camaraderie and collaboration that
