Bhutan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Rinzin Dorje says he believes Taiwan-Bhutan relations have much room for growth in the future. Dorje was speaking to a Taiwan’s Central News Agency reporter on Thursday at the opening of a trade show in the Bhutanese capital, Thimphu.
Dorje said that Taiwan and Bhutan have many similarities. Bhutan is a landlocked country, isolated by the Himalaya Mountains, while Taiwan is “sealocked”, surrounded by ocean. Both countries have largely Buddhist populations, a common point that he said may help people from both countries better understand each other.
As foreign minister, Dorje said it is his job to visit other countries as the representative of Bhutan. Although he has not yet visited Taiwan, he hopes to do so in the future.
Dorje said that since Bhutan opened its borders to tourists in the 1970’s, visitors from many countries including Taiwan have come to learn more about the country. Bhutan welcomes more Taiwanese tourists and hopes they will feel at home in Bhutan. He sees much potential for growth in Bhutan’s economic and cultural relations with Taiwan.