The mark of a special partnership

“It is a pleasure to meet my friend, Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomes Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay at the SOUL conference on February 21. (Source: X)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared on social network X after attending and speaking at the first Leadership Conference of School of Excellence in Leadership (SOUL) with Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay on February 21 in the capital New Delhi.

The presence of the Bhutanese leader at the conference was a source of excitement for the host country’s Prime Minister. In his speech at the event, Tshering Tobgay called his Indian counterpart his “elder brother” and “mentor” and expressed his desire to be guided in helping him contribute to the transformation of public services in the small Himalayan nation.

Calling the SOUL initiative “Mr Modi’s brainchild”, Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay further stressed that it is yet another testament to the Indian leader’s unwavering commitment to nurturing authentic leaders and empowering them to serve the great Republic of India.

The SOUL Leadership Conference will serve as a premier platform where leaders from various fields such as politics, sports, arts and media, spirituality, public policy, business and society will share their inspiring life journeys and discuss aspects related to leadership. The conference will foster an ecosystem of collaboration and thought leadership, facilitating learning from both failures and successes, to inspire the young audience.

SOUL is an upcoming private training institute in Gujarat that aims to equip government and public sector leaders with the tools, skills and expertise needed to tackle the complex challenges of leadership in today’s world. In the words of Prime Minister Modi, SOUL “will shape outstanding leaders at the national and global level.”

Earlier, the two Prime Ministers held talks, reviewing various aspects of bilateral relations. “We are committed to deepening the unique and historic partnership between India and Bhutan,” Modi added.

On this occasion, Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw; Minister of Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju; Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita and other senior officials of the Indian government also paid their respects to the Prime Minister of Bhutan.

Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay's official visit to India from February 20-21, according to India News Network , has reinforced the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two neighboring countries.

According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, India and Bhutan enjoy exemplary relations of friendship and cooperation, based on mutual trust, goodwill and understanding at all levels. The ministry’s statement said that Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay’s visit “is in line with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between India and Bhutan, a hallmark of the special partnership.”

India has been working closely with Bhutan in socio-economic development since Bhutan's first Five Year Plan in 1971. This cooperation is in line with the priorities of the government and people of Bhutan.

The scope of development projects spans across various sectors such as infrastructure development, roads, digital connectivity, energy, agriculture, information technology, healthcare, education, human resource development and urban development.

India also partners with Bhutan through initiatives such as the High Impact Community Development Project. These projects include developing drinking water supply networks, irrigation canals, construction of farm roads, primary health care facilities and other rural infrastructure.

Additionally, the India-Bhutan development partnership also includes the PG model, which is direct budgetary assistance to the Royal Government of Bhutan.

Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar welcomes his Nepalese counterpart Arzu Deuba Rana during his maiden visit to New Delhi, September 2024. (Source: MEA)

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of another neighboring country is hoping to receive an invitation to visit India in the first half of 2025. Speaking to The Hindu newspaper on February 22, Nepalese Foreign Minister Arzu Deuba Rana said that Nepal is waiting for an invitation to visit India for Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

Ms Rana expressed hope that Mr Sharma Oli and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would meet on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, Thailand next April and that the leader would be invited to New Delhi in the “first half” of 2025.

Rana has personally visited New Delhi twice since the Sharma Oli government took office in July 2024. The Hindu newspaper commented that Rana's new comments "indicate the strained relationship" between New Delhi and Kathmandu due to the Modi government's "unusual delay" in receiving the Nepalese prime minister. After sensing the delay from India, Oli traveled to Beijing in November 2024, a move that is believed to have further deepened the rift between the two neighbors.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/thu-tuong-bhutan-tham-an-do-dau-an-cua-quan-he-doi-tac-dac-biet-305303.html