New Delhi [India], June 9 (ANI): Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay has landed in the national capital to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi today.
He was warmly welcomed at the airport by Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (West) Pavan Kapoor.
"PM Tshering Tobgay of Bhutan arrives in New Delhi for the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. Warmly welcomed by Secy (West) Pavan Kapoor at the airport. The visit will further strengthen close bonds of friendship and cooperation between India and Bhutan," said MEA Official spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal in a post on X.
PM Tobgay is among the distinguished guests set to attend the eagerly awaited ceremony in which BJP leader Modi will be sworn in as the Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive time.
With BJP bagging 240 seats and the National Democratic Alliance secured 292 seats out of 543 Lok Sabha seat, PM Modi is set for a third consecutive term as Prime Minister of India with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) emerging victorious in the parliamentary elections.
He will equal Jawaharlal Nehru's record of becoming the prime minister of India the third time after completing two full terms.
Several leaders and State heads of neighbourhood region and Indian Ocean region have been invited for PM Modi's swearing-in ceremony as distinguished guests, a testament to India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in an official statement on Saturday said, "President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe; President of Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu; Vice-President of Seychelles, Ahmed Afif; Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina; Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth; Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'; and Prime Minister of Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay, have accepted the invitation to attend."
Of these guests, Bangaldesh PM Hasina, Vice-President of Seychelles, Ahmed Afif; Maldivian President Muizzu; Mauritius PM Pravind Kumar Jugnauth have arrived.
India and Bhutan share a unique and enduring partnership which is rooted in mutual trust, understanding and goodwill. Diplomatic relations between the two were established in 1968 with the establishment of a special office of India in Thimphu.
PM Modi paid a State visit to Bhutan in March this year. The visit was in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between India and Bhutan and the Government's emphasis on its Neighbourhood First Policy.
During the visit, Prime Minister received audience with Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan and Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth King of Bhutan. During the visit, the Prime Minister also held talks with his Bhutanese Prime Minister Tobgay.
After PM Modi's historic 3rd consecutive win in the world's biggest elections, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tobgay congratulated him while vowing to work closely with PM Modi-led "Bharat" to strengthen ties between India and Bhutan.
"Congratulations to my friend PM @narendramodi ji and NDA for the historic 3rd consecutive win in the world's biggest elections. As he continues to lead Bharat to great heights, I look forward to working closely with him to further strengthen the relations between our 2 countries," he said in a post on X. (ANI)
