India inks pact for joint development of small satellite for Bhutan

India on Friday signed the implementing arrangement on the joint development of a small satellite for Bhutan.

The agreement was inked by Indian Space Research Organisation”s Scientific Secretary R Umamaheswaran, and Director, Department of Department of Information Technology and Telecom, Bhutan, Jigme Tenzing, in a virtual signing ceremony, ISRO said.

It was attended by Ambassador of India to Bhutan Ruchira Kamboj, and Ambassador of Bhutan to India Major General Vetsop Namgyel, and other senior officials from the Government of India and Royal Government of Bhutan, ISRO said in an update.

Kamboj said the joint development was envisioned during the state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Thimphu in 2019.

“Space sector cooperation is an exciting new area of bilateral partnership between India and Bhutan,” she tweeted.

Meanwhile, Ambassador of Belgium to India, François Delhaye, called on Secretary in the Department of Space and ISRO Chairman K Sivan at ISRO headquarters here on Wednesday.

The ongoing interactions between ISRO centres and Belgium companies, mainly in the area of supplying systems and components and the avenues for expanding space relations between India and Belgium in view of space reforms announced by Government of India, were discussed during this meeting. PTI