Nimish Kumar, The Parliament Journal.

Thimphu (Bhutan)/ New Delhi (India), February 6, 2023: A Parliamentary Delegation led by the Honorable Speaker of the National Assembly of Bhutan, H.E. Mr. Wangchuk Namgyal, called on Hon’ble Lok Sabha Speaker, the lower house of Indian Parliament, Mr. Om Birla, at Indian Parliament House Complex in New Delhi, India.

Speaking on the occasion, Indian Speaker Mr. Birla said that being the oldest and most vibrant democracy in the world, the Parliament of India reflects the hopes and aspirations of 140 crore citizens. Referring to the budget session, Mr. Birla said that the government’s policies and programs and their financial allocations would be discussed during the session.

In the context of Amrit Kaal, Mr. Birla told the Members of the delegation that, for the next 25 years, extensive efforts will be made in the fields of agriculture, industry, infrastructure, science, digital economy, green energy and climate change, in the direction of making India a developed nation. He added that the cooperation of friendly countries will play a very important role towards achieving this goal.

Referring to India’s Neighborhood First policy under the leadership of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Birla said that this policy has given a new direction to India-Bhutan relations. He added that the Government of India has allocated Rs 2400 crore to Bhutan from the Union Budget this year, which reflects the close ties between the two countries.

Indian Speaker Birla said that the Government of India is determined to expand the scope of bilateral cooperation with Bhutan in line with the aspirations and priorities of the Bhutanese people. He appreciated Bhutan’s goal of becoming a high income economy by 2034 and assured that India will always be a reliable friend of Bhutan.

An MoU aimed at cooperation between the two Parliaments was also signed by Indian Speaker Mr. Om Birla and the Bhutani Speakker Mr. Namgyal.