Kolkata, Sep 30 (IANS) Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigme Y. Thinley Friday sought Indian investment in education, health, tourism and IT sectors.
‘Edcuation, health, tourism and IT services – in these sectors we want investment and joint ventures with India. That is already happening,’ Thinley told reporters here.
He said in education, there was already a collaboration between the Royal University of Bhutan (RUB) and Delhi University. ‘It also has a tie-up with Calcutta University.’
He said the RUB was now the only university in his country, which needs more such universities as the colleges are scattered all over the nation.
‘For a growing economy, one is not enough. We need more to continue to strive for excellence. In this area, we need collaboration.’
Describing India-Bhutan relations as special and exemplary, he said it was an example for all countries sharing common borders.
‘We have a special relationship that has grown from understanding, trust and collaboration, for mutual benefit and for mutual satisfaction. Both sides understand and appreciate the aspirations and interest of each other and respect them and engage through collaboartion to promote each other’s interests.’
‘This leads to greater understanding and trust,’ he said.
The challenge in the India-Bhutan ties would be not so much in terms of taking it further as the two nation’s relations have gone beyond what many other countries have achieved.
Thinley said earlier India was the donor, supporter and benefactor, and Bhutan the beneficiary. But now with his country achieving a good level of development, the nature of the bilateral relationship was changing to one that was mutually beneficial.
‘And this is exemplified by the cooperation in hydropower,’ he said.
He averred Bhutan was now generating electricity which was needed by India which ‘was on a high trajectory of economic growth and prosperity’.
He said Bhutan, which receives support and assistance from India for socio-economic development, now aimed to become a green and sustainable service economy.
Thinley said the rate of unemployment was extremely low at only 3.1 percent, despite the world now going through an economic downturn.
‘But we want to see everybody employed. And we want to promote Bhutan as a high-end and world class service economy within a holistic and sustainable development paradigm as provided by the module we have developed in Bhutan, that is the Gross National Happiness Module’.
