Against the backdrop of renewed concentrate on the Doklam problem, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck on Tuesday sketched a five-point broad roadmap to increase the “time-tested” relations moreover delving into respective nationwide safety pursuits.
The talks between Modi and the visiting king happened days after Bhutan’s Prime Minister Lotay Tshering stated that China has an equal say in resolving the border dispute referring to the strategically-located Doklam tri-junction.
When requested at a media briefing whether or not the Doklam problem figured within the talks, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra stated India-Bhutan ties are based mostly on mutual respect, belief, shut understanding and sensitivity to one another’s issues, including Modi and the king lined all the gamut of bilateral cooperation together with problems with “respective national interests”.
India and Bhutan share an exemplary relationship: MEAÂ
Kwatra stated the proposed rail hyperlink undertaking between Kokrajhar (Assam) and Gelephu (Bhutan) can be expedited and that it might be the first-ever rail hyperlink between the 2 international locations. “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 stated replying to the Doklam problem.
“Now, in this context, the intertwined and indivisible nature of our security concerns is self-evident,” he stated. Kwatra stated India very intently follows all developments having a bearing on its nationwide curiosity and it takes all obligatory measures to safeguard them as obligatory.
“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 stated.
“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.
Doklam problem remained key level of dialogue
The Doklam plateau is taken into account an essential space for India’s strategic curiosity. The Indian and Chinese armies had been locked in a 73-day stand-off on the Doklam tri-junction in 2017 after China tried to increase a highway in an space that Bhutan claimed belonged to it.
In October 2021, Bhutan and China signed an settlement on a “three-step roadmap” to expedite negotiations to resolve their festering boundary dispute. Bhutan shares an over 400-km-long border with China.
In a tweet, Modi described his assembly with the Bhutanese King as “warm and productive”. The prime minister additionally 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 stated.
The international secretary stated 5 broad factors had been recognized to increase the ties. The first level was on financial and growth partnership which included cooperation for Bhutan’s thirteenth Five-Year Plan that begins subsequent 12 months.
Kwatra stated India’s help would come with related monetary help for the reform course of in Bhutan and for initiatives based mostly on growth partnerships.
The second bucket of points was associated to commerce, connectivity and funding cooperation, which in flip included discussions on infrastructure connectivity, rail hyperlinks, air connectivity and inland waterways amongst others.
The third one associated to parts pertaining to long-term and sustainable commerce facilitation measures that India and Bhutan may take, which might hyperlink to the financial development and prosperity of each economies.
While the fourth level was associated to new paradigms of cooperation in areas of vitality which additionally offers for cooperation in areas of non-hydro-renewable area.
The final one associated to cooperation in new sectors, which included area and startups.
Highlighting numerous facets of the bilateral ties, Kwatra stated each side are inspecting and contemplating organising of the primary Integrated Check Post (ICP) alongside India-Bhutan border, which might be someplace close to Jaigaon.
He stated it was agreed that India would step up its help to Bhutan’s upcoming thirteenth Five Year Plan. “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 stated.
“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 stated.
Kwatra stated India would work to form long run sustainable preparations for export of agricultural commodities from Bhutan and develop bilateral preparations for provide of important commodities to that nation which would come with 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 stated.
“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.
Kwatra stated India and Bhutan share an “exemplary” relationship, which is characterised by belief, goodwill, mutual understanding. The international secretary stated the King briefed the prime minister on his important transformation and reform initiative that Bhutan is presently endeavor.
“The prime minister, on his part, reiterated India’s continued and full support to the socio-economic development in Bhutan based, of course, on the priorities of the royal government and in keeping with the transformation initiatives and reform process as per the vision of His Majesty,” he stated.
(WITH INPUTS FROM PTI)
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