Patil concludes four-day Bhutan visit

Subhashis Mittra

Paro (Bhutan), Nov 8 (PTI) President Pratibha Patil
Saturday wrapped up on a positive note her four-day visit to
Bhutan, where she attended the coronation of the world's
youngest monarch Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wanchuck, giving a fresh
momentum to close bilateral ties.

Patil, who left for New Delhi, said the Indo-Bhutan
relations have reached a "new high" this year and hoped the
ties between the world's largest and newest democracies would
become "deeper and more fruitful" in future.

In a special gesture, Bhutan's 4th King Jigme Singye
Wangchuck escorted the President to the VVIP aircraft at the
airport here and had a brief chat with her inside the plane.

The King, the new monarch's father, told the President
that he found her to be "such a wonderful person".

President Patil appreciated his concept of Gross National
Happiness for the Himalayan state and greeted him for his
birthday on November 11.

During her stay in Bhutan, Patil along with United
Progressive Alliance (U.P.A.) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi
attended the coronation ceremony of the Himalayan nation's
fifth King, 28-year old Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, sister Priyanka and
her husband Robert Vadra were also present on the occasion.

President Patil was seen off at her Thimpu hotel by the
Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigme Y Thinley when she left for
Paro airport, 60 kms from the capital of the Himalayan nation.

The last high-level visit to Bhutan was made by Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh in May after Druk Phuensum Tshogpa
(D.P.T.) party leader Thinley was elected to head the first
democratically elected government.