India unveils five-point roadmap of ties with Bhutan, against China’s three-point

PTI, NEW DELHI, 4 APRIL 2023: The talks on Tuesday between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck covered the entire gamut of bilateral ties including issues of respective national interests. They sketched a five-point broad roadmap to expand “time-tested” relations.

The talks between Modi and the visiting king took place days after Prime Minister of Bhutan Lotay Tshering said that China has an equal say in resolving the border dispute relating to the strategically-located Doklam tri-junction.

In a tweet, Modi described his meeting with the King of Bhutan as "warm and productive". The Prime Minister also hosted a lunch for the visiting dignitary. 

"Pleased to receive His Majesty the King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. We had a warm and productive meeting. Deeply value our close friendship and the vision of successive Druk Gyalpos in guiding India-Bhutan relations to new heights, "Modi said. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, when asked whether the  Doklam issue figured in the talks, said India and Bhutan remained in close touch relating to security cooperation. 

"Besides this exemplary and unique relationship that India and Bhutan have, we also have a time-tested framework of security cooperation, and as part of that, both countries maintain a long standing tradition of very close consultations on matters relating to their mutual interests, and of course, security also," he said replying to the Doklam issue.

"Now, in this context, the intertwined and indivisible nature of our security concerns is self-evident," he said. Kwatra said India very closely follows all developments having a bearing on its national interest and it takes all necessary measures to safeguard them as necessary."

As regards the recent statements and the related commentary to them is concerned, I would say that one -- India and Bhutan remain in close touch relating to our shared interests including our security interests," he said. 

"I would only reiterate our earlier statements on this issue which very explicitly and very clearly bring out our position on the determination of the tri-junction boundary points," he added.

The meeting between Modi and the Bhutan King covered the entire gamut of bilateral ties including issues of respective national interest, Kwatra said.

The King began his two-day visit to India on Monday amid some concerns in New Delhi over China's attempt to expand influence over Thimphu. Certain remarks by Prime Minister of Bhutan Lotay Tshering on the Doklam tri-junction were seen by many as the Himalayan nation cosying upto Beijing though Bhutan maintained that there was no change in its stance on the border dispute. 

Bhutan is a strategically important country for India and the defence and security ties between the two sides have witnessed significant expansion in the last few years. The strategic ties witnessed an upward trajectory in the last few years in the backdrop of a 73-day face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in Doklam tri-junction in 2017.

The Doklam plateau is considered an important area for India's strategic interest. The standoff at Doklam tri-junction in 2017 began after China tried to extend a road in an area that Bhutan claimed belonged to it. India had strongly opposed the construction as it would have impacted its overall security interests. 

The India-China face-off was resolved following several rounds of talks. In October 2021,Bhutan and China signed an agreement on a "three-step roadmap" to expedite negotiations to resolve their festering boundary dispute. Bhutan shares an over400-km-long border with China and the two countries have held over 24 rounds of boundary talks in a bid to resolve the dispute. 

In a recent interview, the Bhutanese Prime minister had said that China has an equal say in resolving the border dispute in Doklam. India has consistently been the top trading partner of Bhutan, and remains the leading source of investments in Bhutan.

At a media briefing, Kwatra said the visit of the King of Bhutan to India provided an opportunity to sketch a roadmap to further expand cooperation in diverse areas. Kwatra said the proposed rail link project between Kokrajhar (Assam)and Gelephu (Bhutan) will be expedited and that it would be the first ever rail link between the two countries. 

The foreign secretary said there were five broad points that were identified to expand the ties. 

The first point was on economic and development partnership which included cooperation for Bhutan’s 13th Five Year Plan that begins next year. Kwatra said India's support would include relevant financial assistance for there form process in Bhutan and for projects based on development partnership." 

The specifics of the support, its distribution into different projects, that is something which is to be worked out between the two systems going forward," he said. 

The second bucket of issues was relating to trade, connectivity and investment cooperation, which in turn included discussions on infrastructure connectivity rail links, air connectivity and inland waterways among others. 

The third one related to elements pertaining to long term and sustainable trade facilitation measures that India and Bhutan could take, which would link to the economic growth and prosperity of both economies. 

The fourth point was related to new paradigms of cooperation in areas of energy which also provides for cooperation in areas of non-hydro-renewable space. 

The last one related to cooperation in new sectors, which included space and startups. 

Highlighting various aspects of the bilateral ties, Kwatra said both sides are examining and considering setting up of the first Integrated Check Post (ICP) along India - Bhutan border, which would be somewhere near Jaigaon.

"At Bhutan’s request, India would work to extend an additional standby credit facility. This would be over and above the two existing standby credit facilities that are operating between the two countries," he said.

Kwatra said India would work to shape long term sustainable arrangements for export of agricultural commodities from Bhutan and develop bilateral arrangements for supply of critical commodities to that country which would include petroleum, fertilizers, and coal. "In the field of hydro-power specifically, which has been the cornerstone of our economic relationship, we have agreed to an upward revision of the tariff of the Chhukha hydro-electric project," he said.

"Besides the existing range of hydropower projects and also exploring the non-hydro-renewable space, we would also try and expedite the finalisation of modalities for new hydroelectric projects, hydropower projects, including the Sankosh hydroelectric project," he added.