Hanoi (VNA) - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a meeting with King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck in Hanoi on August 19, during which the two leaders agreed on a number of solutions to promote Vietnam - Bhutan cooperation in the years ahead.

PM Chinh warmly welcomed the first-ever visit to Vietnam by a Bhutanese head of state, describing it as a historic milestone in the bilateral relations.

He congratulated Bhutan on its impressive achievements under the King’s wise leadership, particularly its sustainable economic development in harmony with cultural preservation and environmental protection.

The Vietnamese PM praised Bhutan’s philosophy of Gross National Happiness, considering it an inspiring model for the international community in pursuing inclusive and sustainable development.

Highlighting the positive growth of the bilateral ties since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2012, PM Chinh affirmed that Vietnam and Bhutan share many cultural, economic and developmental similarities, with a common goal of improving the well-being of their people.

He expressed his confidence that the King’s state visit will create fresh momentum for the bilateral relations amid the fast-changing regional and global situation, and called on both countries to strengthen cooperation in addressing common challenges.

PM Chinh briefed the King on Vietnam’s national construction journey since the country gained independence 80 years ago and shared its future development orientations and objectives.

He underscored Vietnam’s wish to deepen its ties with Bhutan, proposing more frequent high-level exchanges and consideration of bilateral cooperation mechanisms. He suggested accelerating the review and signing of cooperation agreements, and enhancing economic connectivity through trade, investment and market access.

Vietnam is ready to export products such as food, consumer goods, construction materials, electronics and components to Bhutan, while importing Bhutanese goods to meet mutual demand, the PM noted. The Government leader also proposed expanding cooperation in security and cybercrime prevention, and tapping potential in spiritual tourism, high-quality organic agriculture and traditional medicine. He stressed the importance of establishing a direct air route to boost cultural and people-to-people exchanges. For his part, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck praised Vietnam’s resilience in overcoming past challenges, its sound leadership, development strategies and consistently high GDP growth, describing Vietnam as one of the world’s successful development models. The King agreed with PM Chinh's proposals to strengthen cooperation, calling them practical and conducive to advancing the bilateral ties.

He shared Bhutan’s development philosophy and vision, emphasising that as a small nation, Bhutan has pursued its own unique development strategy, aiming to bring happiness and prosperity to its people, preserve a clean environment, and maintain independence in the region and the world.

The King affirmed that Bhutan regards Vietnam as a trustworthy and important partner in the region, and pledged to promote stronger cooperation in the years ahead.

Both leaders agreed that the bilateral relations hold great potential and room for growth. They committed to effectively harnessing opportunities across all areas to elevate the relationship to a new height, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions as well as in the world.

They also agreed to enh✤ance information exchange, coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums. Vietnam welcomed Bhutan’s intention to strengthen practical cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other regional mechanisms./.