Bhutan has said that the country is "honoured" to be chosen as the first nation that the newly elected Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit.
This is the first that an Indian head of the government has chosen Bhutan as the destination for his or her first visit.
Modi is expected to reach Thimphu on 15 June and depart the next day, Bhutan's media have reported citing confirmation from the country's Prime Minister.
"We're honoured to have him choose Bhutan as the first country he's visiting after assuming office," Bhutan's national newspaper, Kuensel quoted PM Tshering Tobgay.
"This is a historic visit, the entire world is watching, not just the SAARC region, and we're extremely happy, we're proud," he said.
Bhutan seems to be the only country, which enjoys full friendship with India and is the only immediate neighbour with which India has no political problems of any kind. Hence, Modi's choice of Bhutan for his visit, does not come as a surprise to many.
"It speaks volumes about the importance he attaches to the region, but more importantly to the importance he attaches to the friendship between our two great countries," Tobgay added.
The Bhutanese Monarchs, including the present King, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and his father are going to grant an audience to the Indian Prime Minister, the newspaper said.
"It goes without saying that the Indian people and the new Indian government and Prime Minister Modi hold his Majesty the king in high esteem, and his visit here is indicative of the esteem that we hold for our royal family, our Kings, and particularly his Majesty the King," Tobgay told the paper.
Bhutan has been largely considered to be a good choice for Modi as his destination for first visit. Bhutan, in a highly successful 'Operation All Clear' in December 2003, had cleansed out all the India-specific insurgents – something no other neighbors had ever done for India.
