Revisiting India-Bhutan relations

Bhutan is an important development and strategic partner of India due to their shared interests.

Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck visited New Delhi in the first week of April at the invitation of Indian President Droupadi Murmu. This is his fifth visit to India after his coronation, and it is significant both in its content and symbolism of the India-Bhutan bilateral relationship. Though the media speculated that the visit took place against the background of Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering’s interview to Belgian paper La Libre saying that Doklam was a trijunction between India, China and Bhutan, and that the three countries as sovereign equals needed to resolve it; it is apparent that preparations for the king’s visit had been going on for some time. Dismissing media assumptions, Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay M Kwatra said India and Bhutan remained in close touch relating to their shared interests, including security interest . However, it needs to be underlined that Bhutan, as an important partner, has both strategic and economic relevance to India’s foreign policy.