NEW DELHI: The King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck had interactions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, amid rising concerns over China’s attempt to gain influence in the kingdom, as well as some controversial statements by Bhutanese PM Lotay Tshering on his country's equation with China.
"The Prime Minister and His Majesty the King of Bhutan had discussions on wide ranging issues, which also included security concerns of both the nations," said Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra.
India and Bhutan have intertwined national interests and the government of India closely follows issues concerning national interest and takes all measures to safeguard them, Foreign Secretary Kwatra added.
Meanwhile, the King of Bhutan was hosted by External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar along with CEOs of leading Indian companies on April 3rd. NSA Ajit Doval too had an interaction with the King and spoke about security issues concerning both nations.
Bhutan is a strategically important country for India and defence and security ties between the two sides have witnessed significant expansion in the last few years.
Strategic ties have been on an upward trajectory in the backdrop of the 73-day face-off between Indian and Chinese troops at the Doklam tri-junction in 2017.
The Doklam plateau is considered an important area for India's strategic interests. In the backdrop of the strong bilateral ties between the two nations, the Bhutan PM’s comments did come as a surprise.
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.
"India and Bhutan remain in close touch and coordination relating to our national interests and India has explicitly brought out our position on the demarcation of the (Doklam) trijunction," Kwatra added.
In October 2021, Bhutan and China signed an agreement on a three-step roadmap to expedite negotiations to resolve their boundary dispute.
Bhutan shares an over 400-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 to a Belgian newspaper, the Bhutanese Prime Minister had said that China has an equal say in resolving the border dispute in Doklam.
Meanwhile, during the bilateral talks that PM Modi had with the Bhutanese King, the two leaders spoke about the entire gamut of cooperation – this included India supporting Bhutan in their 13th five year plan. Besides, there is collaboration on hydropower projects and a rail project that will connect India and Bhutan. Also, an integrated check post has been set up at the India-Bhutan border.