Male: Bhutan on Wednesday said the scrapping of special status to Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter of India. It is the fourth SAARC nation to support New Delhi's position on the issue.
"For us, this is an entirely internal matter of the Government of India. I would also like to state there should be peace at the borders," Bhutan Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji told ANI on the sidelines of Indian Ocean Conference.
He stressed that mutual dialogue should be held on the matter. Bhutan's stand is another setback for Pakistan, which has gone on a diplomatic overdrive criticising New Delhi's decision to reorganise Jammu and Kashmir. New Delhi has ruled out any third-party intervention on J-K.
Dorji regretted that SAARC Summit remains stalled amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. The grouping has a huge potential, he noted.
The Bhutanese foreign minister also said there is no competition between India and China in Bhutan, adding that there is enough space for everyone to cooperate on issues like climate change.
"There is no competition between the two countries. There are enough opportunities and space for all countries to collaborate," he said. On India-Bhutan ties, Dorji said the friendship between the two nations reflects that a small country and a big country can also show an exemplary relationship.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bhutan last month has further strengthened the relationships between New Delhi and Thimphu, he said. "Indo-Bhutan friendship is the model of friendship not only between two countries but also between neighbours. It reflects that size (of a country) does not matter," Dorji said.
"A small country and a big country can show an exemplary relationship. We have excellent relations and it will only further strengthen especially after the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bhutan's Prime Minister visits India. He has made two visits to India within the span of for eight months," he added.
-By Naveen Kapoor
