The European Union maintained that it will remain committed as a strong development partner of Bhutan regardless of the on-going Euro zone financial crisis. During a recent visit to the Kingdom, the EU Ambassador to Bhutan said, relation between Bhutan and the EU has been one of mutual respect and cooperation.
Ambassador Joao Cravinho said “some development partners believe that Bhutan has now reached a stage where it no longer needs so much support, but we understand Bhutan continues to need international support and Bhutan can entirely be confident and we will continue the support at the same level or perhaps at a higher level than in the past.” Despite Eurozone crises, the European Union’s commitment to help Bhutan remains unperturbed, said the EU the Ambassador.
He described the relations between the EU and Bhutan as gratifying since most of the EU projects in the country has seen impact and a made difference in the lives of Bhutanese. The EU has been a strong development partner in the fields of renewable natural resources, environment and agriculture for about three decades now.
The Ambassador said, the EU would be very keen to work with the Bhutanese government in achieving Bhutan’s 2020 vision of Self Reliant not just in the hydropower sector.
Ambassador Joao Cravinho said, “we are very much available to work with Bhutan in other sectors to create and diversify trade, export creation for industrial production that will allow for Bhutan to reduce its import by locally produced consumer goods and agriculture produce.”
During the visit, the government and the EU focused discussion in organic certification system, continued climate financial assistance and growing Bhutanese transport sector.
