Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay during his four-day visit to Sri Lanka discussed matters related to education, health, and tourism. A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed for Foreign Office Consultation between the acting foreign secretary of Bhutan and Sir Lanka’s foreign secretary.

Lyonchoen was on an official visit to Sri Lanka from April 9 to 12 on the invitation of President Maithripala Sirisena. Lyonchoen was presented with a guard of honour at the Presidential Secretariat with 19 gun salutes.

President Maithripala Sirisena also hosted a state banquet for lyonchoen and Aum Tashi Doma. Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe hosted a lunch for Lyonchoen and his delegation.

Lyonchoen also made a brief visit to the Parliament house and the Prime Minister’s Office. Minister of Higher Education and Research of Sri Lanka also called on lyonchoen during which matters related to Bhutanese students studying in Sri Lanka were discussed. There are about 200 Bhutanese studying medicine in three top universities in Sri Lanka. The foreign affairs minister, Mangala Samaraweera also called on Lyonchoen.

As part of the visit, lyonchoen paid homage at the Kelaniya and Gangaramayana temples in Colombo, and the sacred Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy which houses the sacred relic of the tooth of Lord Buddha. The Governor of Kandy hosted a lunch in honour of Lyonchoen. Lyonchoen also visited the Royal Botanical Garden in Peradeniya where he planted a tree.

The visit, according to foreign ministry officials, is a successful one that has contributed to strengthening the already friendly and cooperative relations between Sri Lanka and Bhutan.