Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi begins 4-day visit to Bhutan

New Delhi | Chief of Army Staff Gen Upendra Dwivedi on Monday began a four-day trip to Bhutan to further enhance the already close bilateral military ties against the backdrop of China's relentless efforts to strengthen infrastructure around the strategically located Doklam plateau.

In Bhutanese capital Thimphu, Gen Dwivedi will call on King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and hold wide-ranging talks with Bhutan's military chief Lt Gen Batoo Tshering, officials said.

The Army Chief's visit to Bhutan from June 30 to July 3 comes amid the evolving regional security scenario and over seven weeks after India's Operation Sindoor targeting terror bases in Pakistani territories.

"The visit aims to further bolster the enduring bilateral defence cooperation between the two nations," the Indian Army said, adding it reflects India's commitment to its neighbour.

It is expected that the overall situation in the Doklam plateau as well as Chinese activities in the region are set to figure in Gen Dwivedi's talks with his Bhutanese interlocutors.

The strategic ties between India and Bhutan witnessed an upward trajectory in the last few years in the backdrop of a 73-day face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in Doklam tri-junction in 2017.

The Doklam plateau is considered an important area for India's strategic interest.

The standoff at the Doklam tri-junction in 2017 began after China tried to extend a road in an area that Bhutan claimed belonged to it. India had strongly opposed the construction as it would have impacted its overall security interests.

The India-China stand-off in the Doklam plateau even triggered fears of larger conflict between the two neighbours. Bhutan had said the area belonged to it and India supported the Bhutanese claim.

The face-off was resolved following several rounds of talks.

Bhutan shares an over 400-km-long border with China and the two countries have held a series of boundary talks in a bid to resolve the dispute.

China and Bhutan are looking at an expeditious resolution of their festering boundary row that could have implications for India's security interests.

In late 2023, Bhutan's then Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji held talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing. A Chinese readout on the talks said Bhutan firmly abides by the one-China principle and stands ready to work with China for an early settlement of the boundary issue.

New Delhi has been keeping a close eye on the negotiations between Bhutan and China on their boundary row as it could have implications for New Delhi's security interests, especially in the Doklam tri-junction.

In October 2021, Bhutan and China signed an agreement on the "three-step roadmap" to expedite negotiations to resolve their boundary dispute.

Chief Operations Officer of the Royal Bhutan Army Lt General visited India in February.

During the trip, he held talks with Gen Dwivedi, NSA Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.