The National Assembly of Bhutan today hosted the 9th Inter-Parliamentary Meeting (IPM) with a five-member delegation from the European Parliament (EP). The EP delegation was led by H.E. Mr. Serban Dimitrie Sturdza, Chair of the Delegation for Relations with the Countries of South Asia (DSAS), while the Bhutanese delegation was led by the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, along with four Members of Parliament.

The meeting began with the adoption of the minutes of the 8th IPM, held in Brussels, Belgium. This was followed by a presentation on democratic governance and parliamentary cooperation by the Hon'ble Deputy Speaker, and a presentation on climate, energy, environment, and sustainable development by Hon'ble Naiten Wangchuk.

On behalf of the European Parliament, the Chair of DSAS, Mr. Serban Dimitrie Sturdza, presented on EU–Bhutan cooperation, highlighting the enhanced partnership under the 2021–2027 Multiannual Indicative Programme (MIP). He also spoke on environmental policy and water-energy cooperation, touching on sustainable development, the transition to a low-carbon economy, and strengthened cooperation in water resource management, renewable energy, and climate resilience. He further underscored the importance of reviewing developments in human rights and social policy, including demographic trends, education, skills development, and digital transformation.

Following the presentations, the meeting turned to discussions on climate change, preservation of cultural identity, youth retention, and further areas of cooperation such as education, research, and student exchange. Members also discussed the challenges Bhutan faces in combating climate impacts, including adaptation finance, resilient infrastructure, carbon balance, and energy resilience.

The meeting reaffirmed the importance of EU–Bhutan cooperation and the value of learning from each other’s best practices through IPM.