Bhutan king makes foreign debut

The king (left) is spending five days in India

The Oxford-educated king of the tiny Himalayan nation of Bhutan made his debut on the world stage on Wednesday with an official visit to India.

Twenty-six-year-old Jigme Kesar Namgyel came to the throne after his father abdicated in December.

The new king will sign a revised treaty of friendship with India on Thursday, giving his country more freedom in foreign policy and military purchases.

In 2008, Bhutan becomes a parliamentary democracy with a new constitution.

Correspondents say that the new king's meetings with Indian National Security Adviser MK Narayanan and Home Minister Shivraj Patil are a sign of the close security ties between India and Bhutan.

'Continued growth'

In his first public statement in December after he took over from his father, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the new monarch pledged to continue his father's reforms and hold elections next year.

Correspondents say the monarch's five-day visit to India could see the nation of 700,000 people emerge out of Delhi's shadow after the signing of a new friendship pact with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday.

"The treaty not only reflects the contemporary nature of the relationship between the two countries but also provides the foundation for the continued growth of this excellent relationship in the 21st Century," the Bhutanese foreign ministry said.

The beautiful and mountainous country of thick forests and high mountains only allowed television in 1999 and the Internet the following year.