The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay embarked on a three day working visit to Singapore followed by a visit to the UN General Assembly in USA.
Upon arrival, the Prime Minister met with the President of Singapore, H.E. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, at the Istana Presidential Office.
In the evening, the Foreign Minister of Singapore, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan hosted a working dinner in honor of the Prime Minister and his delegation.
During the meetings, the Prime Minister conveyed the warm greetings of His Majesty the King and expressed gratitude to the Government of Singapore for their warm welcome and generous hospitality.
The Prime Minister’s engagements covered a wide range of discussions on investment opportunities in the Gelephu Mindfulness City and other areas for cooperation in human resource development, public sector reforms, and tourism promotion.
The Prime Minister of Singapore, Lawrence Wong, hosted a private luncheon for the PM, at the Istana. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed areas of mutual interest and explored avenues for cooperation between Bhutan and Singapore, with a particular focus on potential investments in the Gelephu Mindfulness City.
In a separate engagement, Prime Minister Tobgay also met with Senior Minister and former Prime Minister, H.E. Lee Hsien Loong.
Additionally, Prime Minister Tobgay participated in a conversation with Ambassador Curtis S. Chin, Milken Asia Fellow, at the 11th Annual Asia Summit hosted by the Milken Institute in Singapore. The conversation centered on Bhutan’s national priorities, including the development of GMC and the promotion of tourism.
Following his engagements in Singapore, the PM travelled to New York, arriving on 20th September, to represent Bhutan at the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
During his visit, he will meet world leaders and heads of multilateral organizations, to strengthen Bhutan’s international standing and promote our national priorities on the global stage.
In New York the PM met with the members of the Bhutanese community there.
He said, “It was truly heartwarming to meet and interact with the Bhutanese community residing in New York and neighbouring areas. I took the opportunity to share updates on the 13th Five Year Plan, the Gyalsung, and His Majesty The King’s noble vision of Gelephu Mindfulness City, while also reflecting on our nation’s journey, future plans, and aspirations. The meaningful conversations and thoughtful questions from fellow Bhutanese made the evening all the more enriching, reminding me of the unassailable bond we share no matter where we are in the world.”
On Sunday he delivered a statement at the Summit of the Future in the UN General Assembly (see separate story).
On the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York, Lyonchhen, held a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Nepal, Mr. K.P. Sharma Oli, this afternoon.
Lyonchhen congratulated Prime Minister Oli on assuming office for the fourth time, expressing confidence that Nepal will benefit greatly from his extensive experience and leadership. Lyonchhen also conveyed his eagerness to collaborate closely to further strengthen the bilateral relationship between Bhutan and Nepal in all areas of mutual interest. He expressed gratitude to the Government of Nepal for generously allocating land in Lumbini for the construction of a Bhutanese monastery and mentioned that the Royal Government of Bhutan looks forward to initiating construction once the lease agreement is finalized.
The two leaders also discussed strengthening cooperation in key areas, including tourism and trade.
In a separate engagement, the Prime Minister met with Mr. Khürelsükh Ukhnaa, President of Mongolia. The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the President and the Government of Mongolia for extending the warmest hospitality to His Majesty The King and the Royal entourage during their recent state visit to Mongolia.
The two leaders acknowledged that the royal visit further strengthened the deep spiritual, cultural, and people-to-people connections between the two nations.
They also discussed areas of mutual cooperation, including traditional medicine, education, trade, and livestock. Both sides committed to further deepening bilateral ties across various sectors.
