Indian Army Chief in Bhutan: General Upendra Dwivedi, who is the Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army, started his four-day visit to Bhutan today. His trip will go on till July 3. The main aim of this visit is to make India and Bhutan’s military partnership even stronger. This visit comes at a time when China has been increasing its activity around the Doklam plateau, which is very important for India’s security.
During his stay in Bhutan’s capital, Thimphu, General Dwivedi will meet the King of Bhutan, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, reported ET. He will also hold talks with Lieutenant General Batoo Tshering, who is the Chief of Operations of the Royal Bhutan Army. These meetings are expected to cover many things such as defence training, joint planning, and closer military teamwork between the two countries.
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Talks on Security and Military Projects
General Dwivedi will also meet people from the Indian Embassy, the Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT), and officials from Project DANTAK. This project is run by the Border Roads Organisation and focuses on building roads and other important infrastructure in Bhutan. These meetings show that India is not only helping with defence training but also helping Bhutan with engineering and logistics support.
The Indian Army said the goal of this visit is to “further bolster the enduring bilateral defence cooperation between the two nations,” and that it shows how committed India is to support its close neighbour. There’s a strong chance that the ongoing situation in Doklam and the recent Chinese activities in that area will come up during General Dwivedi’s discussions in Bhutan.
Back in 2017, Indian and Chinese troops were locked in a 73-day face-off at the Doklam tri-junction. That happened when China tried to extend a road into an area Bhutan said was its land. India had backed Bhutan and stopped the construction as it could have affected India’s security near the Siliguri Corridor. That tense standoff was later solved after talks, but India has kept a close eye on the region since then.
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Bhutan-China Talks
Bhutan shares a long border of over 400 km with China. For years, Bhutan and China have been trying to settle their border dispute through talks. In October 2021, the two countries signed a “three-step roadmap” to try and sort out the boundary issue. Then in late 2023, Bhutan’s former Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji visited China and met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing. The Chinese side said that Bhutan agreed to the one-China principle and wanted to reach a solution on the border issue soon.
India has been closely watching these talks between Bhutan and China because whatever happens there can affect India too, especially near the Doklam area. In February this year, the Chief of Operations of the Royal Bhutan Army visited India and held meetings with General Dwivedi, NSA Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.
