India wants to take Bhutan relationship a level ahead

THIMPU: India today pitched for establishing an "economic partnership" with Bhutan and stressed on the need to take the bilateral relationship beyond the development partnership that currently exists between the two.

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, who held talks with the country's leadership here, reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations with Bhutan.

"What I urged the government of Bhutan is to look at India and Bhutan becoming economic partners. To look at innovative ways of taking up challenges of our times, opportunities that global economic trends offer and take us beyond development partnership to economic partnership," Khurshid told reporters after his meeting with Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigmi Y Thinely and with the Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister-in-Charge for Foreign Affairs Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk.

"There are some good ideas, wonderful ideas that Bhutanese government has of using Bhutan as a hub. That is the reason why regular consultations are called for," Khurshid said adding that the two countries have agreed in principle to "structured consulations".

Talking about his meeting today, the Minister said he had an "absolutely outstanding, very very candid, open friendly" talks.

"We talked of virtually all areas of mutual concern, we discussed successful projects, projects that are now been implemented... It was a meeting of friends," he said.

Hydro-projects were also discussed in the meeting, he said.