Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, 19 October, congratulated Lotay Tshering, President of the Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) party that has won Bhutan's general elections.
"Modi congratulated Tshering on his party's victory in the third general election in Bhutan and his own election to the National Assembly," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement following a telephonic conversation between the two leaders.
Modi also welcomed the successful conduct of general elections, which he said was an important milestone for consolidation of democracy in Bhutan, it stated.
Bhutan's voters on Thursday, 18 October, gave an overwhelming victory to the new party headed by Tshering, a surgeon, in only the third democratic election held by the Himalayan kingdom.
The country of 800,000 people, located between India and China, has now chosen a different party to rule at each election since the end of absolute monarchy in 2008.
The centre-left DNT, formed in 2013, won 30 of the 47 National Assembly seats.
Modi conveyed to Tshering that India attaches the highest priority to further strengthening unique ties of friendship and cooperation with Bhutan, which is based on shared interests and values, utmost trust, goodwill and mutual understanding.
Modi also extended an invitation to Tshering to visit India, which the latter accepted.
"The two leaders agreed to take forward the unique and multifaceted bilateral cooperation to new heights for the benefit of the people of Bhutan and India," the statement added.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)