New Delhi: The external affairs minister, S Jaishankar, arrived in Paro on Wednesday for an official visit to Bhutan aimed at advancing bilateral cooperation and maintaining regular high-level exchanges between the two neighbours. He was received on arrival by the Bhutanese foreign minister, Lyonpo DN Dhungyel.
Jaishankar is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Dhungyel, receive a royal audience with the Bhutanese king, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, and call on the Bhutanese prime minister, Tshering Tobgay. The discussions are expected to cover ongoing cooperation in development, energy, connectivity and other areas of the bilateral relationship.
In a post on X after his arrival, Jaishankar said he looked forward to his engagements in Bhutan and to advancing India’s “unique ties of friendship” with the country
Development and connectivity in focus
The visit follows the meeting between the prime minister, Narendra Modi, and Tobgay in New Delhi in February, when the two sides reviewed cooperation in energy, connectivity and development partnership. They also discussed greater engagement in artificial intelligence and digital technologies, while Tobgay acknowledged India’s support for Bhutan’s 13th Five Year plan and the Gelephu Mindfulness city project.
As RNA Media reported earlier, India-Bhutan cooperation has increasingly focused on energy and development, including the 1,020-megawatt Punatsangchhu II Hydroelectric Project. India has also committed ₹10,000 crore towards Bhutan’s 13th five year plan for 2024-29.
Cross-border rail connectivity has also moved forward. India and Bhutan signed an intergovernmental memorandum in September 2025 for their first railway links, connecting Kokrajhar with Gelephu over 69 kilometers and Banarhat with Samtse over 20 kilometers. The two projects have a combined estimated cost of ₹4,033.34 crore.
The partnership has since moved into implementation. During bilateral plan talks in July, India and Bhutan reviewed projects under the 13th Five-Year Plan, including initiatives covering infrastructure, energy, connectivity and community development.
Energy cooperation has also remained active. Indian and Bhutanese ministers reviewed hydropower development, cross-border electricity trade and transmission connectivity in August, while discussions separately covered progress on the 1,200-megawatt Punatsangchhu I Hydroelectric Project and cooperation on trans-border rivers.