New Delhi: India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval called on Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck on Tuesday. Wangchuck began his three-day India visit on 3 April.
The Bhutanese King will be meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu later on Tuesday.
#WATCH | Delhi: King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck meets NSA Ajit Doval. pic.twitter.com/2YnaPVgD22
— ANI (@ANI) April 4, 2023
Earlier in the day, Wangchuck paid tribute at Rajghat, a memorial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, in Delhi.
#WATCH | Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, King of Bhutan pays tribute at Rajghat in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/nV5UEgy2Kr
— ANI (@ANI) April 4, 2023
The Bhutan King is in India at the invitation of the Indian President. He is accompanied by Bhutan's Foreign Minister Dr Tandi Dorji and other senior officials.
India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Monday received the Bhutan King on his arrival at New Delhi and called on him in the evening. Jaishankar noted that Bhutan King's vision for strengthening the unique partnership with India is "deeply appreciated."
In a statement, India's Ministry of External Affairs said: "India and Bhutan enjoy unique ties of friendship and cooperation, which are characterised by understanding and mutual trust."
Jaishankar said that the visit of the Bhutan's King to India will give an opportunity to both the countries to review bilateral cooperation and to further enhance the close bilateral partnership including economic and development cooperation.
Bhutan King-PM Modi meet
All eyes are on the meeting between the Bhutanese King and PM Modi as it would be the first such high-level meeting between the two leaders since Bhutan-China boundary talks made rapid progress.
The Bhutan King's India visit comes within days after Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering said China has equal say in finding a resolution to the border dispute in Doklam which India believed has been illegally occupied by China.
Also Read: After PM Lotay Tshering’s China faux pas, Bhutanese King on three-day India visit
"It is not up to Bhutan alone to solve the problem," said Bhutanese PM last month in an interview with the Belgian Daily La Libre.
Tshering's statement was contradictory with his 2019 remarks when he said no side should unilaterally act near the existing tri-junction point.
The Doklam plateau lies at the tri-junction of India, China and Bhutan and has been a source of tension between the three countries since the 2017 Doklam standoff.
In 2017, Indian and Chinese troops were involved in a tense standoff in Doklam tri-junction that lasted for 73 days.
The face-off began after China tried to extend road towards Mount Gipmochi and the adjoining Jhampheri ridge. Bhutan claimed that the area of Doklam plateau where China was constructing the road was part of its territory.
The Indian soldiers entered the Doklam plateau to restrict China from illegally constructing the road, saying it would impact its overall security interests.
The Indian Army asserts that letting the Chinese troops to reach Jhampheri would give them a clear line of sight to the Siliguri corridor.
In October 2021, Bhutan and China signed an agreement on a "three-step roadmap" to expedite negotiations to resolve their festering boundary dispute.
Bhutan shares 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.
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