India announced a $451 million concessional line of credit to Bhutan for hydroelectric projects in theneighboring country on Wednesday, following bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and King Jigme Khesar Wangchuck in Thimphu.
Modi was on a two-day visit to Bhutan, during which he held extensive discussions with the King to further strengthen bilateral ties between the two nations.
The leaders announced the signing of several pacts, including New Delhi offering financial assistance to Thimpu, which will fund energy projects there.
"They (Modi and Wangchuk) welcomed the active engagements of Indian companies in the hydropower projects in Bhutan. The Bhutanese side expressed appreciation for the announcement by the Government of India of a concessional Line of Credit of $451 million to fund the energy projects in Bhutan," both countries said in a joint statement.
In addition to the agreement in the in the green energy sector, the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of cross-border rail links between Gelephu–Kokrajhar and Samtse–Banarhat, and for the subsequent formation of a Project Steering Committee to oversee the implementation of the project.
India and Bhutan also reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation in emerging areas such as STEM, fintech, and space, the statement concluded.