FM meets Bhutanese King

"Strong economic foundation and vibrant institutions contribute to successful democratic governance" was the opinion expressed by the King of Bhutan, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, when he received Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama at an audience on June 30 in the Capital Thimpu, states a Foreign Ministry press release.

Minister Bogollagama was in Bhutan as part of his tour of SAARC countries to hand over invitations from President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the counterpart Heads of State or Government for the forthcoming Summit in Colombo.

The King, while stating that education and human resource development are fundamental pre-requisites for development, expressed his appreciation for the training opportunities afforded by Sri Lanka to Bhutanese students, including undergraduate placements in MBBS studies.

The Foreign Minister called on Prime Minister Jigme Thinley and Foreign Minister Ugen Tshering as well. Minister Bogollagama exchanged views with the Bhutanese leaders on the theme and focus of the Colombo Summit and on sustaining the continuity of progress in all areas of SAARC cooperation. They also focused on measures to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

Prime Minister Jigme Thinley accepted the invitation to attend the SAARC Summit and assured that Bhutan will extend her fullest cooperation to make the Colombo Summit a great success.