Army chief, NSA visited Bhutan 2 weeks ago; discussed strategic issues

New Delhi, February 18

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval quietly travelled to Bhutan earlier this month on a rare visit during which they held extensive talks with the top brass of the Bhutanese leadership on strategic issues, including the situation in Doklam, authoritative government sources said.

The sources told PTI that the two sides reviewed bilateral security and defence cooperation issues with a focus on China's increasing military posturing and infrastructure development in the key Doklam plateau.

The visit took place between February 6 and 7 and "positive" outcomes emerged from the meetings between the key Indian officials and the Bhutanese government, they said.

The visit by Gen Rawat, Doval and Gokhale was the first such high-level trip from India to Bhutan after the Doklam standoff and it was kept under wraps by the Bhutanese and Indian sides.

The visit came three days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with his Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay on the sidelines of an investors’ summit in Guwahati.

 The sources said the Bhutanese side apprised the Indians about the status of boundary talks between Bhutan and China and emphasised that Thimphu wants peace in the Doklam tri-junction.

 Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day standoff in Doklam from June 16 last year after the Indian side stopped the building of a road in the disputed Doklam tri-junction by the Chinese Army. Bhutan and China have a dispute over Doklam. The face-off ended on August 28.

China and Bhutan are engaged in talks over the resolution of the dispute in the area. India argues that since it is a tri-junction involving the three countries, it also has a say in the issue, especially in the backdrop of a 2012 agreement between special representatives of the two countries, that have till now held 20 rounds of talks.

Bhutan has no diplomatic ties with China. As a close friend and neighbour, Bhutan enjoys diplomatic and military support from India.

The sources said several other key officials of the Army and the Ministry of External Affairs were also a part of the visit. Asked about the foreign secretary's visit, a diplomatic source called it "routine".

This was Gen Rawat's second visit to Bhutan in the last nine months. Gen Rawat has been calling for adequate focus by India on its nearly 4,000-km border with China. Last month, he had said the time had come for the country to shift its focus from the western to the northern frontier.

Army sources said China has been keeping its troops in north Doklam and significantly ramping up its infrastructure in the area.

The Indian Army has also been strengthening its troop level in certain key sectors along the Sino-India border besides enhancing border infrastructure.

Previously, Rawat had visited Bhutan in April last year while then Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar had visited the neighbouring country in October last. In November last, the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, had visited India. — PTI