New Delhi: Reinforcing bilateral military cooperation, the high-level visit to India by a Bhutanese delegation led by Lieutenant General Batoo Tshering, Chief Operations Officer (COO) of the Royal Bhutan Army, concluded on Thursday.
“During the visit, the two Armies explored new avenues for defence collaboration and reaffirmed the enduring bond between the two,” the Indian Army said in a message on X.
India and Bhutan share a deep-rooted friendship built on historical ties, cultural affinity and mutual respect. Their partnership reflects a bond of trust and cooperation that has strengthened over the decades, it said.
Earlier, Lieutenant General Batoo Tshering called on Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on February 4 and discussed cooperation, capability enhancement and training support for the Royal Bhutan Army.
The Defence Minister reaffirmed India’s commitment to Bhutan’s defence preparedness, including provisioning of equipment and assets under the Neighbourhood First policy.
General Tshering commenced the official visit to India on February 1, marking an important step in further enhancing the longstanding defence relations between Bhutan and India.
Upon arrival, General Tshering spent his first day in Gaya, where he visited the Officers Training Academy and a number of significant Buddhist cultural sites, underscoring the deep-rooted cultural and historical ties that exist between Bhutan and India.
From February 2-6, General Tshering participated in several key activities. On February 3, he laid a wreath at the National War Memorial and was accorded a Guard of Honour at the South Block.
The General also call on the Chief of the Army Staff, and other senior officials including the National Security Advisor, Chief of Defence Staff, Defence Secretary and Foreign Secretary. General Tshering will also visit several key military institutes, including the National Security Guard (NSG) in Manesar and the Defence Image Processing and Analysis Centre (DIPAC).
Before concluding his visit, General Tshering travelled to Kolkata and paid a visit to the Indian Army’s Eastern Command headquarters at Vijay Durg (formerly Fort William).
After laying a wreath at Vijay Smarak, Lt Gen Tshering met Lt Gen Ram Chander Tiwari, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command and discussed several matters pertaining to defence cooperation between the two nations, an official said.
“The visit is of great significance as Bhutan shares its border with the Indian states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal and Sikkim. All these states are within the operational jurisdiction of the Eastern Command. The two general officers discussed measures to enhance defence cooperation, particularly in the field of cutting-edge technology, with a focus on ensuring the security of both nations. Lt Gen Tshering and his team also interacted with other senior officers of the Eastern Command,” the official said.
An official said that the enhancement of defence ties between the two nations is crucial at a time when China is practically breathing down the neck of the peaceful Himalayan Kingdom.
“China had started making overtures to Bhutan nearly 10 years ago, as part of its South Asia policy. Immediately after that, China started building infrastructure on territory traditionally belonging to Bhutan,” the official said.
He pointed to reports suggesting that China has set up nearly 22 villages on such territory over the last eight years.
“Eight of these have come up close to the Doklam Plateau over the last four years. China went into this construction spree after 2017, when the Indian Army and the People’s Liberation Army had a two-month-long standoff at Doklam, which is a sort of tri-junction between the Indian state of Sikkim, Bhutan and the Tibet Autonomous Region. Since then, India has also built infrastructure for quicker movement of men and equipment to the area,” the official said.
He said that India is keeping a close eye on any development in that area. At the same time, both nations are monitoring the possible movement of insurgents from the northeastern states to Bhutan.
He recalled how the Royal Bhutan Army had flushed out insurgents holed up in their country in 2003-04 as part of Operation All Clear, the operation was lauded by the Indian government.
(IANS)
