Prime Minister Narendra Modi held extensive talks with his Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay on Thursday, focusing on ways to further strengthen ties between the two countries.
The talks took place hours after Tobgay began a five-day visit to India, his first foreign trip after taking charge of the top office in January.
Mr Tobgay was received at the national capital's airport by Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey.
“@PMBhutan's visit is in keeping with the exemplary ties of friendship between India and Bhutan,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on 'X'.
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Bhutan on expanding cooperation in energy efficiency.
The Cabinet also approved the signing of an agreement between the Bhutan Food and Drug Authority (BFDA) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for cooperation in the field of food safety.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday that Mr Tobgay's visit will provide the two sides with an opportunity to review progress in the “unique partnership” and discuss ways to strengthen the “enduring” bonds of friendship and expand cooperation. cooperation between India and Bhutan.
Tobgay's visit to India came against the backdrop of China and Bhutan seeking an early resolution of their festering border row, which could impact India's security interests.
About five months ago, Bhutan's then Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji held talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing.
A Chinese readout on the talks shows that Bhutan firmly adheres to the one-China principle and is willing to work with China for an early resolution of the border issue and promote the political process of establishing diplomatic ties.
New Delhi has been closely watching the negotiations between Bhutan and China on their border area as it could impact New Delhi's security interests, especially in the Doklam tri-junction.
In August last year, China and Bhutan agreed to take expeditious and simultaneous steps to implement a three-step roadmap to resolve their festering border dispute.
In October 2021, Bhutan and China signed a “three-step roadmap” agreement to expedite negotiations to resolve their border dispute.
The signing of the pact came four years after the Indian and Chinese armies were locked down at the Doklam tri-junction for 73 days after China tried to expand a road in the area Bhutan claimed belonged to it.
The standoff between India and China on the Doklam plateau in 2017 even led to fears of a wider conflict between the two neighbors. Bhutan had said the area belonged to it and India supported the Bhutanese claim.
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