PM Pham Minh Chinh meets with King of Bhutan

Welcoming the King on his first State visit to Viet Nam, Prime Minister Pham said the visit is a historic milestone in bilateral relations. He congratulated Bhutan on its remarkable progress under the King's leadership, particularly in sustainable economic development combined with cultural preservation and environmental protection.

The Prime Minister praised Bhutan's Gross National Happiness philosophy, describing it as an inspiring model for inclusive and sustainable development worldwide. 

The host leader also highlighted the positive trajectory of the bilateral ties since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 2012, noting that the two nations share cultural, economic, and developmental similarities as well as the common goal of improving people's well-being.

Expressing confidence that the visit would inject fresh momentum into the partnership amid rapid regional and global changes, Pham called for stronger cooperation to address shared challenges. He also briefed the King on Viet Nam's nation-building journey over the past 80 years and its development orientations for the future.

Pham suggested the two countries increase high-level exchanges, expand collaboration in security, cybercrime prevention, spiritual tourism, high-quality organic agriculture, and traditional medicine. He also underlined the importance of opening a direct air route to enhance cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

For his part, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck commended Viet Nam's resilience, visionary leadership, and impressive economic performance, describing the country as one of the world's successful development models. He welcomed the Vietnamese Prime Minister's proposals, and affirmed Bhutan's view of Viet Nam as a trusted and important partner in the region.

The two leaders agreed that Viet Nam and Bhutan have substantial potential to further expand cooperation. They pledged to effectively harness opportunities in all fields to elevate relations to a new height, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions as well as globally.

The two sides also agreed to step up information exchange, coordination, and mutual support at multilateral forums. Viet Nam welcomed Bhutan's intention to strengthen practical cooperation with ASEAN and other regional mechanisms.

King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema began their five-day state visit to Viet Nam on August 18, 2025 at the invitation of State President Luong Cuong and his spouse./.