India and Bhutan have approved 12 new development projects worth Rs 332 crore and signed a Rs 4,000 crore Line of Credit agreement for energy projects during Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's two-day visit to Thimphu.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Misri's visit concluded on Friday after he met Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay and Foreign Minister Lyonpo D N Dhungyel.
The visit came shortly after Misri's trip to China on July 27 and 28, as India and China continue discussions on bilateral issues, including border-related matters.
On Thursday, Misri and his Bhutanese counterpart Dasho Pema Lektup Dorji co-chaired the fifth India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks, which reviewed the implementation of projects under Bhutan's 13th Five-Year Plan.
The two sides discussed development partnership, energy, trade and investment, connectivity, people-to-people ties and other regional issues of mutual interest.
The MEA said both countries reviewed the implementation of India's Rs 10,000 crore support package for Bhutan's 13th Five-Year Plan for the 2024-29 period.
The newly approved projects, worth Rs 332 crore, cover infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, urban amenities and disaster management.
During the visit, the two foreign secretaries also virtually inaugurated the Thimphu Ecological Park and the Olakha Park, developed under the Green Infrastructure and Open Spaces in Thimphu project with Indian assistance.
The two countries also exchanged an agreement on cooperation in health education and research between the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Bhutan's Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences.
As part of India's support for Bhutan's green mobility initiatives, 45 electric vehicles were handed over to the Royal Government of Bhutan.