Bhutan King to be chief guest at Republic Day parade

Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck will be the chief guest at India's Republic Day parade this year.
 
An official release stated that the King and Queen of Bhutan will pay a state visit to India from January 23 to 30. The King has been invited by President Pranab Mukherjee.
 
During his visit, the Bhutan King will meet with President Mukherjee, Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
 
He will also meet External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj.
 
National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon and Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai will also call on the King of Bhutan.
 
The visit of the Bhutan King will contribute to further strengthening and expanding of close bilateral relations between the two countries.