Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The upcoming state visit to Việt Nam by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and the Queen of Bhutan at the invitation of State President Lương Cường and his spouse is expected to further deepen bilateral ties and promote cooperation in potential areas.

This will be the first state visit to Việt Nam by the King and Queen of Bhutan since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 2012, marking an important milestone in bilateral relations.

Việt Nam and Bhutan enjoy a strong friendship. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, Việt Nam has consistently valued its relations with Bhutan, regarding it as a pioneer in pursuing green growth and maintaining high “happiness” indicators. Meanwhile, Bhutan considers Việt Nam a priority partner for strengthening bilateral relations and is keen to learn from Việt Nam's development experience.

Leaders of the two countries regularly exchange messages of congratulations on each other’s important celebrations. In recent years, the two countries have made efforts to strengthen economic and trade cooperation, with two-way trade reaching around US$20,000 annually. Việt Nam's main exports to Bhutan include wood products, machinery, equipment, tools, spare parts, and other goods. Việt Nam currently has two investment projects in Bhutan with a total registered capital of $937,000.

The two countries see great potential for cooperation in agriculture, tourism, culture, education, science-technology, digital transformation, and green development. They are currently considering the establishment of a consultation mechanism between the two foreign ministries and the signing of several agreements to lay the foundation for cooperation, including an air services agreement and a memorandum of understanding between their civil aviation authorities

Bhutan has expressed interest in importing Vietnamese goods such as agricultural products, consumer goods, garments, food, and electronics. The country also encourages Vietnamese businesses to invest in the Gelephu Mindfulness City Special Economic Zone, and expand cooperation in tourism, spirituality, culture, and Buddhism.

Vietjet of Việt Nam has operated several charter flights carrying tourists to Bhutan on designated routes, while Bhutan Airlines is planning to launch direct flights during peak travel seasons.

At multilateral forums, the two countries have maintained close coordination and mutual support, while continuing to strengthen their cooperation, particularly within the United Nations, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA), as well as on regional and international issues of common concern.

Building on their strong friendship, the state visit to Việt Nam by the King and the Queen from August 18 to 22 reflects Bhutan’s high regard for its friendship and cooperation with Việt Nam, as well as Việt Nam's growing role and position in the region. It also demonstrates Việt Nam's respect for Bhutan and its consistent desire to strengthen ties with South Asian countries, including Bhutan.

The visit aims to deepen the bilateral relations, particularly in areas such as trade, investment, agriculture and green development, sustainable tourism, culture, religion, as well as cooperation and mutual support at multilateral forums.

According to the spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Phạm Thu Hằng, during the trip, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is scheduled to hold talks with State President Cường; meet with Party General Secretary Tô Lâm, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, and National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn; as well as attend other important activities. — VNA/VNS