India silent on Bhutan-China MoU on boundary settlement

The Bhutanese foreign ministry said that signing of the memorandum will provide a 'fresh impetus to the boundary talks' that have been going on since 1984

The Foreign Minister of Bhutan, H.E. Lyonpo Tandi Dorji and the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, H.E. Wu Jianghao signed the Memorandum of Understanding between the Royal Government of Bhutan and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on the Three-Step Roadmap for expediting the Bhutan-China Boundary negotiations on Thursday.

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TT Correspondent   |   New Delhi   |   15.10.21: India on Thursday sidestepped questions on whether Bhutan had informed New Delhi about its decision to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China for a three-step road map to expedite a boundary settlement between the two countries, including at Doklam — the site of the face-off between Indian and Chinese armies in 2017.

The Bhutanese foreign ministry had earlier in the day announced the signing of the MoU to provide a “fresh impetus to the boundary talks” that have been going on since 1984.

The process had got stalled after the Doklam face-off. In April this year, an expert group met for the first time since the Doklam incident and agreed to sign the MoU.

According to the Bhutanese foreign ministry, the negotiations have been guided by the 1988 Joint Communiqué on the Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the Boundary and the 1998 Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace, Tranquillity and Status Quo in the Bhutan-China Border Areas.

Asked  about the announcement, Indian external affairs ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said: “We have noted the signing of the MoU. You are aware that they have been holding boundary negotiations since 1984.”

He did not respond to questions on whether Bhutan had informed India about the decision, whether New Delhi considered this a major development and if it was concerned that the boundary agreement could result in China controlling Doklam.