Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck on Tuesday arrived to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the second day of his two-day visit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck discussed a range of topics related to their bilateral relationship, including issues concerning their national interests.
In close contact with Bhutan over security cooperation: India
When asked if the Doklam issue was addressed during the talks, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra stated that India and Bhutan were in close contact regarding security cooperation. Kwatra further stated during a media briefing that the Bhutanese King's visit provided an opportunity to create a roadmap to expand cooperation in various fields. The meeting covered all aspects of their bilateral ties, including their respective national interests.
Bhutan PM's remarks on Doklam raised concerns
On Monday, the King began a two-day visit to India amid concerns in New Delhi about China's attempts to increase its influence over Thimphu. Some of the remarks made by Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering on the Doklam tri-junction were viewed as Bhutan leaning towards Beijing, although Bhutan maintained that its position on the border dispute remained unchanged.
India considers Bhutan strategically important, and defense and security ties with the country have expanded significantly in recent years.
Doklam dispute
The India-China face-off in Doklam tri-junction in 2017, which lasted for 73 days, led to an upward trend in strategic ties between the two countries. The Doklam plateau is a crucial area for India's strategic interests. The standoff began when China attempted to extend a road into an area that Bhutan claimed was theirs. India strongly objected to the construction, believing that it would impact their overall security interests. After several rounds of talks, India-China face-off ended. Bhutan and China signed an agreement in October 2021 on a "three-step roadmap" to expedite negotiations and resolve their boundary dispute.
Bhutan shares a 400-km-long border with China, and the two countries have held more than 24 rounds of boundary talks to resolve the issue. In a recent interview, the Bhutanese prime minister stated that China has an equal say in resolving the border dispute in Doklam. India is consistently Bhutan's top trading partner and the primary source of investments in the country.
