Lyonchhen completes Saarc country visits

Prime Minister Jigmi Y Thinley returned home on Wednesday from a six-day visit to Nepal and Afghanistan.

Prime minister, as the current Saarc chair, paid the visit on the invitation of the governments of Nepal and Afghanistan. He was in Nepal from April 14-16 and thereafter in Afghanistan from April 17-19.

Speaking to ministers and senior government officials, who received prime minister’s entourage at the Paro airport, the economics affairs minister, Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk, who accompanied Lyonchhen on the visit, said both the countries assured full support to Lyonchhen’s leadership of the SAARC.

Lyonpo Khandu informed the group that the Bhutanese delegation discussed mechanisms for rapid response in disaster management and Lyonchhen sought support in setting up a rapid disaster response centre.

In Nepal, Lyonchhen met with Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal. The two leaders highlighted similar challenges faced by Bhutan and Nepal as landlocked countries. The two leaders also discussed bilateral ties and cooperation that Bhutan and Nepal enjoy. Lyonchhen said he had discussed with the Nepalese counterpart renewal of trade and air services agreement between the two countries and agreed to resume discussions on the people in the camps in Nepal.

Lyonchhen also met the former prime minister, Mr Madhav Kumar, president of Nepali Congress, Mr Sushil Kumar Koirala, and chairman of the Nepal Maoist Party, Mr Prachanda.

Soon after landing in Kabul last Sunday, Lyonchhen Jigmi Y Thinley met the president of Afghanistan, Mr Hamid Karzai.

Lyonchhen said that his three-day visit to Afghanistan and President Karzai’s visit to Bhutan in 2010 for the 16th Saarc summit had  enabled the two countries to strengthen and deepen bilateral relations and have a deeper understanding of each other.

While in Afghanistan, Lyonchhen also met the first vice president, Mr Marshall Mohammad Qasim Fahim, and second vice president, Mr Mohammad Karim Khalili.

Lyonchhen was accompanied on the visit by the economic affairs minister, ambassador of Bhutan to Nepal and officials from the prime minister’s office and foreign ministry.

The latest visits complete Lyonchhen’s state visits to all the Saarc member countries as the current Saarc chair.

By Staff Reporter

One Response to “Lyonchhen completes Saarc country visits”

1. Sonam says:

   April 22, 2011 at 3:20 pm

   Really don’t understand what the PM is hoping to achieve by spending a lot of time visiting basket case countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan. It’s not like these countries have anything substantial or good to offer to Bhutan and it’s not like there’s a shortage of work for him to do in Bhutan that he can actually spend his time going on these joy rides.

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