India and Bhutan poised to forge greater partnership:PM

India and Bhutan poised to forge greater partnership:PM

Dec 21, 8:51 AM
The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has expressed confidence that India and Bhutan are poised to forge greater partnership that will bring added prosperity to the people of the two countries.

In his remarks at the Hiren Mukherjee Memorial lecture in New Delhi on Tuesday, Dr. Singh said that the partnership will promote common security and strengthen the bonds of amity.

The Prime Minister described the signing of a pact on climate change and a convention in environment as new dimensions to the process of regional cooperation in South Asia. He extended a warm welcome to the Prime Minister of Bhutan Jigmi Y Thinley for delivering the Hiren Mukherjee lecture.

Delivering the lecture the Prime Minister of Bhutan urged India to take centre stage in global decision making process and fora with clarity of vision. He extended full support to India's bid for permanent membership of UN Security Council and its active participation in G-20, BRICS and ASEAN consultations.

He called for overcoming regional prejudices to forge greater partnership among South Asian countries. He said Parliamentarians of the region will strengthen the resolve of the governments to find ways and durable solutions even to the most provocations and injuries.

The Bhutanese Prime Minister said that developed and some developing countries ignored the mounting costs of rising GDP and in the process destroyed the natural wealth not only for today but for tomorrow. Mr. Thinley advocated for contributing to the making of harmonious and cooperative SAARC.

Referring to present economic slowdown, he said that meaningful progress can continue in many ways but people of the region need to use common sense and reason. He said, India has the wisdom and the capacity to make a difference.

Mr. Thinley said New Delhi cannot do more on domestic front alone but at the international level, he said, it can make international community more responsible to the threats of an ecological catastrophe. He paid glowing tributes to Prof. Hiren Mukherjee for his outstanding contribution in the parliamentary democracy.

The Lok Sabha Speaker Mrs. Meira Kumar while thanking the Bhutanese Prime Minister recalled his contribution in realizing the concept gross national happiness championed by him as a development philosophy in the w