Modi, Bhutan King meet; India to step up support

India on Tuesday assured Bhutan to step up support for their upcoming 13th Five Year Plan and offered additional standby credit facility to boost the economy of the Himalayan state amid efforts by Beijing to intensify its outreach to Thimphu. The King was also sensitised about India's national security interests in Bhutan in the backdrop of its PM's statement favouring China.

The assurance of assistance was extended when the visiting King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck met PM Narendra Modi.

While India would step up its support to Bhutan's upcoming 13th Five Year Plan, the specifics of the support and its distribution into different projects will be worked out between the two systems going forward, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra told reporters following the Summit meet.


At Bhutan's request, India would work to extend an additional standby credit facility. This would be over and above the two existing credit facilities that are operating between the two countries, Kwatra told reporters.

Simultaneously, Kwatra stated that India was closely following the developments that have a bearing on its national interest and would take all necessary measures to safeguard them.

Asked about Bhutan PM's recent remarks on the Doklam issue, the foreign secretary said India and Bhutan remain in close touch on issues relating to shared interests, including security interests.

India would also work to shape long-term sustainable arrangements for the export of agricultural commodities from Bhutan and also work to develop long-term bilateral arrangements for a supply of critical commodities to Bhutan, which would include petroleum, fertilisers, and coal, according to Kwatra.

India is also examining and considering setting up the first Integrated Check Post (ICP) along the India-Bhutan border, which would be somewhere near Jaigaon. India, according to the foreign secretary, will try and expedite the proposed Kokrajhar-Gelephu rail link project with the India government's support in consultation with the Bhutan side. This will be historic because it would be the first-ever rail link between India and Bhutan. During the Modi-Wangchuk talks, considerable focus was placed on economic and development partnership.

The two leaders also focused on new sectors — space, startups, cooperation in the field of STEM education –– as part of the bilateral partnership.

In the field of hydro-power, it was agreed to an upward revision of tariff of the Chhukha hydro-electric project. This is the oldest hydro-electric project with Bhutan and is of great significance. India will consider positively Bhutan’s request to sell power from its hydro-power project known as the Basochhu hydro-electric project.