Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck landed in Delhi on Sunday, where he was received at the airport by External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar.
Visit to India
The monarch also met with National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval at his hotel, and is set to meet with Indian PM Narendra Modi on Monday.
“The visit will further strengthen close bonds of friendship and cooperation with a valued partner,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said. However, he did not mention any details of issues expected to be raised during the talks.
Border Project
The Bhutanese King’s trip to New Delhi comes after a visit to the Indian state of Assam, where Bhutan is planning an ambitious border project in the border town of Gelephu. King Jigme’s trip to Guwahati marked the first-ever official visit by a Bhutanese monarch to Assam.
Privilege to call on His Majesty, the King of Bhutan shortly after his arrival in New Delhi.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) November 5, 2023
Pleased to hear about the experience of his first visit to Assam.
India supports the vision of sustainable transformation of Bhutan under His Majesty’s guidance. pic.twitter.com/CyCsIwj9N9
With Assam’s Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma, he discussed connectivity and infrastructure initiatives, including plans for the first India-Bhutan rail link, a 57km line connecting Kokrajhar and Gelephu, where Bhutan is also planning on building an international airport, as part of Thimphu’s plan to build Gelephu as a “Gateway City.”
After New Delhi, King Jigme will fly to Mumbai later this week, where he is expected to meet with various business and industry leaders to speak about collaborations and investment in the Gelephu project, also called the Sarpang district Special Economic Zone.
India, China, and Bhutan
The Bhutanese monarch’s visit to India comes two weeks after Bhutan and China signed an agreement on the boundary delimitation process in Beijing. The talks are expected to receive great interest in New Delhi, given India’s concerns over Doklam.
King Jigme also visited India in April, following the announcement of progress in Bhutan-China talks on resolving their boundary dispute.
The prospect of India’s “special” friend and neighbour, which does not currently have diplomatic ties with China, becoming more closely involved in trade and tourism with Beijing, had set off alarm bells in New Delhi. In addition, India was concerned that the boundary deal could bring the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) into closer range of the Indian border.