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Switzerland
in Bhutan |
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Bhutan's
Development |
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Bhutan's
Development |
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| Cooperation
Bhutan - Switzerland |
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| Close
ties between Bhutan and Switzerland |
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September
2004
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| Dr. Franz Hubert Rhomberg with Bhutan's foreign minister Lyonpo Khandu
Wangchuk |
"When
I first visited Thimphu there were no hotels, restaurants or shops. There
was one street and about 10 motor vehicles. The rest was rice fields and
forest." Dr. Franz Hubert Rhomberg from Switzerland still remembers
the first English movie that was screened at Thimphu's lone movie hall.
It was Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The year was 1969. |
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| Invitation
of the Late King His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck |
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Dr.
Rhomberg had come to Bhutan on the invitation of the Late King His Majesty
Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. He had met the King in Zurich, Switzerland,
who had come there for medical treatment. The acquaintance grew and Dr.
Rhomberg soon became the Late King's personal doctor. "Over the years we
became very close friends," said Dr. Rhomberg, now 77 years old, and who
is presently on a 10-day visit to the country. "I was the Late King's doctor
and a son as well as his friend until his demise in 1972. I still remain
a good friend of the Royal family."
One
of the most significant developments that the Late King initiated was Bhutan's
accession to the United Nations, said Dr. Rhomberg. While in Bhutan Dr.
Rhomberg started a medical service programme in Bumthang and doctors from
the University of Zurich visited it. He said that one of his colleagues
got caught up in the programme so much that he did not go back to Switzerland
for 15 years. After about a decade the Helvetas took over the programme
because it was becoming very expensive to finance it privately, Dr. Rhomberg
said.
| Gogona
Swiss Farm |
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Three
Swiss farmers also came to Bhutan and started the Gogona Swiss farm to help the Bhutanese farmers. Visiting the country for the fifth time,
Dr. Rhomberg said in a interview with Bhutan's national newspaper "Kuensel"
that changes in Bhutan were phenomenal. "The political developments are
very right and with culture and tradition still intact, it's great," said
Dr. Rhomberg.
| Bhutan
has parallels with Switzerland
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Founder
and member of the board of trustees of the Jacobs Foundation, a private
international philanthropic organisation in Zurich, Mr. Klaus J. Jacobs,
who is accompanying Dr. Rhomberg on the visit, said that he saw Bhutan
having many parallels with Switzerland. "Switzerland was a very poor country
hundred years ago. We lived in the mountains. But we invested in education.
And since then the excellent education that we provide has been the wealth
of Switzerland. Bhutan should invest as much as possible in educating its
people. Education is very important in the move forward, to reap the many
opportunities of the future." The
seven member private delegation also met with members of the council of
ministers.
| Information on Bhutan |
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