Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck praised Indian PM Narendra Modi, who recently visited the Himalayan nation, and described him as an ‘exceptional leader’.

He said countries require such leaders to advance and flourish.

King Wangchuk, in a video message, underlined that India has paved the way for a promising and prosperous future, adding that Bhutan applauds and rejoices in India’s accomplishments, reports ANI.

“Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, India has not only achieved remarkable success in the past decade, but also paved the way for a promising and prosperous future. We applaud and rejoice in India’s accomplishments. Countries require exceptional leaders to advance and flourish, yet such leaders are rare. To find an exceptional leader must possess compassion, a deep dedication to the country, and a willingness to devote themselves entirely to the service of the country,” he said.

“A leader wields power not for his own sake, but to affect substantial change with the unwavering support of the people. In my perspective, Prime Minister Modi embodies these qualities. Prime Minister Modi Imbe Salamiraji the conferral of the order of Druk Galpo, Bhutan’s highest award to Prime Minister Modi, symbolizes our deep appreciation towards the government of India, the people of India, and to Prime Minister Modi for always being there for Bhutan,” he added.

Modi visited Bhutan on March 21 and March 22.

Modi was conferred the Order of the Druk Gyalpo, Bhutan’s highest civilian decoration, by King of Bhutan in a public ceremony at the Tendrelthang, Thimphu.

Prime Minister Modi is the first foreign leader to be given this prestigious award.

As per ranking and precedence established, the Order of the Druk Gyalpo was instituted as the decoration for lifetime achievement and is the pinnacle of the honor system in Bhutan, taking precedence over all orders, decorations and medals.