Bhutan wants to strengthen relations with Japan and supports Tokyo's bid to become a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck said in a speech to the Diet on Thursday.
The king, who with Queen Jetsun Pema is visiting Japan as a state guest, also offered condolences to the victims and survivors of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, saying, "On your path to rebuilding and restoring of lives, the Bhutanese people stand with you."
Earlier in the day, the 31-year-old king received an honorary doctorate from the prestigious Keio University in Tokyo. At the award ceremony, he called for global unity in efforts to tackle issues such as poverty.
The royal couple, who arrived in Japan on Tuesday, are scheduled to visit disaster-hit Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, and the city of Kyoto before leaving Sunday.