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Before winding up his trip to Bhutan, PM Narendra Modi and his Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay inaugurated a Rs.140 crore hospital built with Indian assistance.
Modi also announced that India will double its assistance for the neighbouring country’s five-year plan from ₹5,000 crore to ₹10,000 crore in the backdrop of concerted efforts by China to settle a border dispute and establish diplomatic ties with Bhutan.
The Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck Mother and Child Hospital, a state-of-the-art health facility was supported in two phases. The first phase was built at a cost of ₹22 crore and has been operational since 2019. The construction of the second phase, with a cost of ₹119 crore, began in 2019 as part of Bhutan’s 12th five-year plan and was completed recently.
The hospital will add value to the quality of mother and child health services in Bhutan, the external affairs ministry said in a statement. It has state-of-the-art facilities for pediatrics, gynecology and obstetrics, anesthesiology, operation theatre, neonatal intensive care and pediatric intensive care.
“Inaugurated the Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck Mother and Child Hospital, which stands as a beacon of hope for several families, offering quality healthcare. This facility embodies a commitment to nurturing a healthy future generation,” Modi said in a post on Twitter (X).
While concluding the trip, Modi was seen off at the airport by Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Tobgay, as a special gesture. “I am honoured by the special gesture by His Majesty the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, of coming to the airport as I leave for Delhi. This has been a very special Bhutan visit,” Modi said in another post on X.
Modi said his talks with the king, Tobgay and other leaders of Bhutan “will add even more vigour to the India-Bhutan friendship”. He added, “India will always be a reliable friend and partner for Bhutan.”
Joint Statement
Here’s the joint statement issued on the concluding day of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bhutan.
“Over centuries, Bharat and Bhutan have enjoyed close bonds of friendship and cooperation anchored in mutual trust, goodwill and understanding. Our cultural links and common geography connect us. Strong economic and financial ties bind us. The close friendship between people of Bharat and Bhutan lies at the heart of our friendship. The relations between our two nations are an example of exceptional neighbourly ties.
The enduring partnership between our two nations is anchored in our common values as well as our shared cultural and spiritual heritage. Bharat for Bhutan and Bhutan for Bharat is an abiding reality of the region, nurtured by the enlightened vision of successive Druk Gyalpos of Bhutan and the political leadership in India and Bhutan.
We express satisfaction with the cooperation between our two countries related to our mutual security. We agree to continue with our close coordination and cooperation with each other on issues relating to our national interests.
Together, we will pursue a transformative partnership that advances our unique and special relations. This includes promoting connectivity in its broadest form physical connectivity through rail links, roads, air, waterways, trade infrastructure for seamless cross-border movement of goods and services, economic as well as digital connectivity.
Since Bhutan’s First Five Year Plan in 1961, India’s development partnership with Bhutan has been empowering the people and ensuring development across sectors and regions. Our development partnership is a confluence of India’s approach of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’ and the philosophy of Gross National Happiness in Bhutan. We will continue to expand our development partnership in line with the priorities of the people and the Government of Bhutan, and the vision of His Majesty.
Our energy cooperation is a visible illustration of deep economic engagement, which results in mutually beneficial outcomes. We will continue to expand our clean energy partnership in the sectors of hydropower, solar and green hydrogen and jointly develop new projects, which channel our technological prowess, vibrancy of the business sector, and skilled talent of both countries to enhance energy security in the region. In this regard, we welcome the Joint Vision Statement on India-Bhutan Energy Partnership.
As our nations undergo profound digital and technological transformation, our joint endeavour will be to harness technologies for rapid economic growth and promoting the well-being of the two peoples. We will intensify our engagement in niche sectors of space technology, digital public infrastructure, start-ups, Artificial Intelligence, Clean Energy, STEM research and education and digital skills development.
We will strengthen trade and investment linkages with each other, particularly through the private sector, including in the context of His Majesty’s vision to develop the Gelephu Special Administrative Region, which will lead to greater economic connectivity in the region in a sustainable manner, promote economic partnerships and bring the people of Bharat and Bhutan closer.
Excellent people-to-people relations provide the foundation for our exceptional bilateral ties. We will nurture our people to people linkages by promoting exchanges of scholars, academics, tourists, students, youth, sport persons. We will continue to nurture our spiritual and cultural affinities including through visits of people to revered cultural heritage sites in each others’ countries.
We recognize the imperative of accelerating our partnership in sectors which promote youth development through education, skilling, entrepreneurship, technology, sports and creative and cultural industries. The Bharat-Bhutan partnership will respond to the dreams and aspirations of our youth for a better future.
Bharat has entered a new chapter in its history, one which is characterised by rapid socio-economic progress and technological advancements, and striving to become a developed nation by 2047 in the Amrit Kaal. Bhutan has the vision to become a high-income nation by 2034 and is embarking on a new phase in its economic development. In the common quest for progress and prosperity, Bharat and Bhutan will continue to be the closest of friends and partners.”
