Assam's progress will impact Bhutan: Tshering Tobgay

Guwahati, March 31 :Bhutan's Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay on Friday said the progress of Assam and India's northeast region will impact neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Bangladesh.

He also recalled the over a century-old cooperation between the people of Assam and Bhutan.

Tshering said this while addressing as guest of honour a huge gathering on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the five-day-long Namami Brahmaputra river festival.

"I am wearing a special fabric today. It is made of cotton which is grown in Assam and woven by women in Bhutan. This is a symbol of cooperation between the people of Bhutan and Assam," Tshering said while pointing out to the traditional dress he was wearing.

"We have 266 km of border with Assam and people interact freely with each other on both sides of the border. This is the relation between Assam and Bhutan," he said.

The Bhutanese Prime Minister, who had arrived in Assam to participate in the Namami Brahmaputra from Paris, further said that at least 10 rivers from his country flow into the Brahmaputra. 

He said that the cooperation between the people of Assam and Bhutan could be taken further for mutual benefit of people living on both sides of the border.

Calling Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal a 'spiritual brother', Tshering appealed to the Indian government to arrange for the opening of a Bhutan consulate in Guwahati.

"I am going to visit Kamakhya temple after this programme. I am going to pray that Namami Brahmaputra also becomes the most powerful river festival in the world," said the Bhutanese Prime Minister.