Foreign secretary Vikram Misri makes his first foreign visit to Bhutan
NEW DELHI : The Bhutan-China border negotiations and India’s aid for Bhutan’s development programmes will be at the top of the agenda when Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri makes his first foreign visit to the Himalayan country this week, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
The external affairs ministry announced that Misri, who took over as foreign secretary on July 15, will make an official visit to Bhutan during July 19-20.
During the visit, Misri will meet King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, foreign minister DN Dhungyel, and hold talks with his counterpart Pema Choden.
The two foreign secretaries co-chaired the bilateral Development Cooperation Talks on Bhutan’s 13th five-year plan, the ministry said. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri & Foreign Secretary Aum Pema Choden co-chaired 3rd Development Cooperation Talks of the 13th Five Year Plan. Reviewed implementation modalities & cooperation in diverse areas of development partnership under 13 FYP period.
Indian support forms the mainstay of funding for Bhutan’s five-year plans and New Delhi provided ₹5,000 crore for the 12th plan during 2018-2023. During a visit to Bhutan in March, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi announced that this aid will be doubled to ₹10,000 crore for the next five years.
The people cited above said on condition of anonymity that Misri’s visit will be an opportunity for Bhutan to brief the Indian side on the latest developments in the country’s discussions with China to resolve a long-standing border dispute.
The previous Bhutan government headed by Lotay Tshering was reportedly close to finalising a border deal with China that could have had implications for the strategic Doklam tri-junction, a region located close to the “chicken’s neck”, the thin sliver of land that connects India’s sensitive northeastern states to the rest of the country.
The current People’s Democratic Party government in Bhutan, which won the election in January, is understood to have taken a fresh approach to the border negotiations.
Misri’s visit is “in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges” and underscores the “highest priority” that the Indian government attaches to its “Neighbourhood First” policy, the external affairs ministry said.