Bhutan keen to strengthen ties with North-East

Bhutan with which the North Eastern states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh share considerable geographical boundary, is keen to have direct flight service between Thimpu and Guwahati, besides improving bilateral economic ties.

Bhutan’s consul general in Kolkata, Dasho Tsering Wangda, who was in the city yesterday, expressed the willingness of his government to further strengthen the bilateral ties with “the next-door neighbour” - Assam and North-East. “There is a great degree of stability in Assam. As a result thousands of Bhutanese come everyday for doing business in Assam especially in Chirang district. We want to foster our centuries-old relationship between the people of Bhutan and Assam. We want our next door neighbour to prosper and grow. Therein lies our prosperity too,” he said.

He said that Bhutan was considering to launch flight operations with Assam on the Bhutan-Guwahati-Bangkok route, and would later extend to Patna.

Wangda said that being next door neighbour, Assam would benefit from any projects taken up in Bhutan, especially along the borders and the river Manas.

Later, Wangda had a meeting with Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi at the latter’s official residence and discussed issues of mutual interests. He said that he had come to Assam to have people to people contact and to explore the opportunities in which Bhutan can be a partner in progress. Wangda urged Gogoi to take up the matter with the government of India on repairing of the 40-km stretch of road from Samthebari near Dhalgaon in Assam to Bhutan. “The repairing of the road will enable Bhutan to move goods at a faster level by cutting down huge business losses,” he said.