Pranab Mukherjee arrives in Bhutan, king receives him

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee arrived here Friday on a two-day state visit and as a special gesture was received by Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

This is the first presidential visit to Thimphu in 26 years.

Hundreds of school children lined up along the way, holding Indian and Bhutanese flag.

Mukherjee is accompanied by Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha and four MPs, including Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

President Mukherjee's sojourn was preceded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first visit abroad to Bhutan in June this year.