Lieutenant General Batoo Tshering, Chief Operations Officer of the Royal Bhutan Army, was honoured with a Guard of Honour at South Block on Monday as part of his ongoing six-day official visit to India.
General Tshering, who arrived in India on February 1 for a visit scheduled until February 6, was warmly received by Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi. The two military leaders exchanged a handshake as part of the formal welcome, marking the beginning of a visit aimed at strengthening the defence ties between the two neighbouring nations.
As per ANI, earlier in the day, Lieutenant General Tshering paid homage to India’s fallen heroes by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial in Delhi. This solemn gesture was part of his official duties during the visit, which focuses on enhancing bilateral military cooperation and exploring new opportunities for defence collaboration between India and Bhutan.
During his time in Delhi, General Tshering is expected to engage in a series of significant meetings. He is slated to meet with several high-ranking officials, including the Chief of the Army Staff, National Security Advisor, Chief of Defence Staff, Defence Secretary, and Foreign Secretary. These meetings will aim to bolster strategic military ties and further cement the long-standing partnership between the two countries.
In addition to these meetings, Lieutenant General Tshering will visit several key military institutions, including the National Security Guard (NSG) in Manesar and the Defence Image Processing and Analysis Centre (DIPAC), according to a press release from the Ministry of Defence.
The Bhutanese military chief will also travel to Kolkata, where he will visit the Headquarters of the Eastern Command of the Indian Army. In Kolkata, he is scheduled to lay a wreath at the Vijay Samarak, a memorial dedicated to India’s fallen soldiers, and meet with the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command.
As per ANI, the Ministry of Defence stated that this visit will pave the way for deeper collaboration between the Indian and Bhutanese armies. It is expected to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two nations, contributing to a range of mutual interests, including regional security and defence.
Earlier, in December, Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck made an official visit to India. During their visit, King Wangchuck held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which focused on deepening bilateral cooperation. Both leaders discussed a variety of regional and global issues, with India reaffirming its support for Bhutan’s socio-economic development.
(With inputs from ANI)
