Bhutan's King meets with Indian leadership

New Delhi, Dec 23 (ANI): Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck met with the Indian leadership here on Tuesday.

Wangchuck, who is on a weeklong visit to India, held talks with President Pratibha Patil, Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi and opposition leader Sushma Swaraj.

India and Bhutan have also signed a dozen pacts, which also include bilateral cooperation in defence and power.

"The security and defence co-operation was also discussed during the delegation level and bilateral talks and we have extend cooperation from the government of Bhutan in respect of the India Insurgents Groups in southern Bhutan," said Foreign Ministry Spokesman Vishnu Prasad.

India also agreed to set up a super-specialty hospital on the lines of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences and to help Bhutan attain computer literacy.

India also inked four agreements on hydroelectric projects.

India and Bhutan share a historic friendship and India has been the forerunner in providing assistance towards Bhutan's development.

India will help Bhutan in setting up ten projects by 2020 to generate 11,000 MW of hydroelectric power.

Bhutan, with a population under 700,000 people, is becoming an important source of hydroelectric power for India.

It sells power to India at a subsidised rate in return for financial help in building hydroelectric plants. The new Bhutanese government is aiming for annual economic growth of around nine percent over the next decade, and much of this will come from Indian investment. (ANI)