India and Bhutan have jointly decided to delay Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Thimphu scheduled for March 21-22 due to adverse weather conditions.
The external affairs ministry announced on Wednesday that the visit, which was anticipated to be Modi’s final foreign trip before the upcoming general election, had to be postponed because of ongoing inclement weather over Paro airport. A brief statement released by the ministry stated, “Due to ongoing inclement weather conditions over Paro airport, it has been mutually decided to postpone the state visit of Prime Minister to Bhutan on 21-22 March 2024.”
The statement also mentioned that new dates for the visit are currently being coordinated between India and Bhutan through diplomatic channels.
The planned visit by Modi was set to follow Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay’s recent trip to India from March 14-18. This visit was part of the longstanding tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two neighboring countries.
During his visit, Modi was scheduled to meet with King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and the previous king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, in addition to holding discussions with Prime Minister Tobgay. The purpose of the trip was to discuss bilateral and regional issues and to explore avenues for strengthening the exemplary partnership between India and Bhutan for the mutual benefit of their citizens.
Earlier, during Tobgay’s visit to India, Modi had announced increased support for Bhutan’s 13th five-year plan, including considering a request for an economic stimulus program. India’s development aid to Bhutan has been focused on infrastructure development and connectivity, with significant funding provided for Bhutan’s previous five-year plans.
Sources By Agencies
