PM Modi arrives in Bhutan for two-day visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Bhutan on Tuesday for a two-day visit during which he will join the 70th birthday celebrations of the fourth king of the Himalayan nation, Jigme Singye Wangchuck.

He was received at the Paro airport by Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay. "I join the entire nation in welcoming my elder brother Prime Minister @narendramodi to Bhutan," Tobgay said in an X post.

During the visit, Modi will hold talks with Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck and Prime Minister Tobgay. Modi and King Wangchuck will jointly inaugurate the 1020-megawatt Punatsangchhu-II hydroelectric project developed jointly by India and Bhutan.

Modi will also meet the fourth king and attend celebrations marking the 70th birthday of the former king of Bhutan. In a statement before embarking on the visit, the prime minister said, "I am confident that my visit will further deepen our bonds of friendship and strengthen our efforts towards shared progress and prosperity".

"It would be my honour to join the people of Bhutan as they mark the 70th birth anniversary of His Majesty the Fourth King," he said.

India and Bhutan enjoy exemplary ties of friendship and cooperation, rooted in deep mutual trust, understanding, and goodwill, he said. "Our partnership is a key pillar of our Neighbourhood First Policy and a model for exemplary friendly relations between neighbouring countries," Modi said.

In an X post, the prime minister said the visit will "add new vigour to our bilateral relations". "The visit seeks to strengthen the special ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Saturday.

Modi's visit also coincides with the exposition of the sacred Piprahwa relics of Lord Buddha, which have been sent to Bhutan from India.