Press Release

At the invitation of the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen paid an Official Visit to India from 6 to 10 January, 2014. Their Majesties were accompanied by the Minister of Home Affairs, Lyonpo Damcho Dorji, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lyonpo Rinzin Dorji, Minister of Economic Affairs, Lyonpo Norbu Wangchuk and senior officials of the Royal Government of Bhutan.

During the visit, Their Majesties met the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee and held wide ranging discussions on issues of mutual interest. Their Majesties expressed Their appreciation to the President for inviting Them to be the first guests at the refurbished guest wing of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The President hosted a dinner in honour of Their Majesties.

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Hamid Ansari; the UPA Chairperson, Smt. Sonia Gandhi; the Finance Minister, Shri P. Chidambaram; the Home Minister, Shri Sushilkumar Shinde; the Minister of External Affairs, Shri Salman Khurshid, the Minister of Commerce & Industry, Shri Anand Sharma; the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Shri Arun Jaitley; the National Security Adviser, Shri Shivshankar Menon; and the Foreign Secretary, Smt. Sujatha Singh called on His Majesty the King.

His Majesty the King held extensive talks with the Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh. The Prime Minister hosted a lunch in honour of Their Majesties. The two leaders exchanged views on bilateral relations and on regional and international issues of mutual interest. They recalled the strong historical ties of friendship and understanding that exist between the two countries. His Majesty the King and the Prime Minister of India expressed satisfaction at the excellent state of bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen them. His Majesty the King conveyed the Bhutanese people’s appreciation for the invaluable support and assistance that the Government of India provides to Bhutan.

The meetings were held in a very warm and friendly atmosphere, reflecting the spirit of trust, cooperation and understanding that underpins the bilateral relations between the two countries. The Prime Minister of India and other leaders reiterated their full commitment and support to Bhutan’s socio-economic development and to further development of Bhutan’s hydropower resources.

Their Majesties expressed deep appreciation to the Government and the people of India for the warm reception and gracious hospitality extended to Them and the members of the Bhutanese delegation. The visit reinforced the tradition of regular high-level exchanges and further strengthened the special friendship between the two countries.