President Luong Cuong presides over state welcoming ceremony for the King of Bhutan

(Chinhphu.vn) - At the invitation of President Luong Cuong and his wife, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and his wife arrived in Hanoi, starting a State visit to Vietnam from August 18 to 22, 2025. On the morning of August 19, at the Presidential Palace, President Luong Cuong and his wife presided over the welcoming ceremony for the King and Queen of Bhutan.

President Luong Cuong and his wife Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet welcomed King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan - Photo: VNA

This is the first state visit to Vietnam by the King and Queen of Bhutan since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 2012.

Attending the welcoming ceremony were Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son; Head of the Office of the President Le Khanh Hai; Minister of Ethnic Minorities and Religions Dao Ngoc Dung; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Manh Cuong; Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan; Deputy Minister of Finance Nguyen Duc Tam; Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Hoang Trung; Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Trinh Thi Thuy; Vietnamese Ambassador to India and Bhutan Nguyen Thanh Hai; Assistant to the President Tong Thanh Tri.

Many children of the capital were present at the Presidential Palace waving the flags of the two countries to welcome King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and the Queen and the high-ranking delegation of Bhutan.

The State visit to Vietnam by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen is an important event in the relationship between the two countries, demonstrating Bhutan's respect for the friendship and cooperation between the two countries, as well as Vietnam's role and position in the region; at the same time, it is a clear demonstration of Vietnam's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization and diversification of relations with other countries, for peace, cooperation and development.

The motorcade escorting King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and the Queen entered the Presidential Palace. President Luong Cuong and his wife were present on the red carpet to warmly welcome King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, who led the high-ranking delegation of the Kingdom of Bhutan on a state visit to Vietnam. Afterwards, children from the capital came forward to present King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and the Queen with fresh bouquets of flowers.

To the sound of welcoming music, President Luong Cuong and King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck walked along the red carpet to the cheers of children to step onto the podium of honor. The military band played the national anthems of both countries.

The two leaders reviewed the Guard of Honor of the Vietnam People's Army. Then, President Luong Cuong and King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck introduced the members of the two countries' high-ranking delegations attending the welcoming ceremony.

President Luong Cuong and his wife Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet welcomed King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan. Photo: Lam Khanh/VNA

Vietnam and Bhutan have enjoyed good friendship since establishing diplomatic relations on January 19, 2012. Vietnam always attaches importance to its relationship with Bhutan, considering Bhutan one of the leading countries in implementing green growth goals and maintaining "happiness" indicators. Meanwhile, Bhutan always considers Vietnam one of the priority countries to promote bilateral relations as well as wishes to learn from Vietnam's development experience.

The two countries' senior leaders regularly exchange telegrams on important holidays and delegations at all levels. The fact that Vietnam and Bhutan soon sent ambassadors after establishing diplomatic relations has significantly contributed to promoting bilateral relations. Tourism cooperation is a bright spot in bilateral relations. Many Vietnamese people travel to Bhutan, a country famous for measuring development with the happiness index, a place with many beautiful natural landscapes and Buddhist sites. At the same time, more and more Bhutanese people come to learn about the country, people and scenic spots of Vietnam.

Although investment and trade cooperation is still modest, more and more Vietnamese enterprises are coming to do business and invest in Bhutan. Vietnam currently has a registered investment project in Bhutan operating in the field of interior design and construction. With the strong development of both Vietnam and Bhutan, the two countries have a lot of potential to make cooperation more practical and effective. The two countries also have a lot of potential in cooperation in agriculture, tourism, culture, education, science and technology, digital transformation and green development.

President Luong Cuong and his wife Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet welcomed King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan. Photo: Lam Khanh/VNA

At multilateral forums, the two countries regularly coordinate closely, support each other and continue to strengthen cooperation, especially at the United Nations, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (AIPA), the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA)... as well as on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

The visit aims to deepen and make the bilateral relationship more effective, especially in areas of cooperation such as trade, investment, agriculture and green development, sustainable tourism, culture, religion, cooperation and mutual support at multilateral forums.

After the welcoming ceremony, President Luong Cuong and King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck led high-ranking delegations from the two countries to hold talks, discuss and orient bilateral relations, as well as identify key areas of cooperation in the coming time.

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/chu-tich-nuoc-luong-cuong-chu-tri-le-don-cap-nha-nuoc-quoc-vuong-bhutan-102250819103049492.htm