Press Release

At the invitation of Mr. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley will be visiting Madhya Pradesh to lay the foundation stone of the University of Buddhist Studies in Sanchi from 19-22 September, 2012. While in Madhya Pradesh, Lyonchhen will meet the Chief Minister and Governor of Madhya Pradesh, and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lob Sabha, Ms. Sushma Swaraj.

Lyonchhen will travel directly to New York on the 23rd September 2012 from India to attend the High-Level Segment of the 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, which will start from September 25, 2012 in New York. Lyonchhen will be accompanied by a delegation comprising of Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk, the Minister-in-Charge for Foreign Affairs, Dasho Karma Rangdol, Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, Dasho Penden Wangchuk, Cabinet Secretary, Dasho Yeshey Dorji, Foreign Secretary, Ambassador Daw Penjo, and other officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Cabinet Secretariat.

Lyonchhen will address the United Nations General Assembly on September 28, 2012. He will also participate in a number of important side events including the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Forum of Small States, where he will deliver the keynote address on “Small States and their Drive to Development”.

Lyonchhen will meet a number of Heads of States and Governments and other dignitaries to seek support for Bhutan’s candidature for the UNSC for the term 2013-2014 as well as pursue other issues of bilateral and multilateral interests such as issues related to sustainable development, post 2015 development agenda and will the Happiness Initiative launched by Bhutan.

Lyonchhen will return on October 10, 2012.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
18th September 2012