After two weeks of negotiations, Bhutan’s 5th King, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, signed an agreement in Beijing regarding the process of demarcating borders with China. On Monday, he arrived in Delhi to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ahead of what is believed to be a visit to Bhutan’s ambitious border project with Assam in Gelephu. The King’s trip has reportedly been influenced by Bhutan’s ambitious project in Gelephu, on the Assamese border. The project includes a 57-kilometer line connecting Kokrajhar and Gelephu, where Bhutan intends to build an international airport. However, New Delhi’s concerns over Doklam are expected to take precedence during the border talks. They want to meet with a number of business and industry leaders in Mumbai at the end of this week to talk about collaboration and investment in the Sarpang District Special Economic Zone, which is also known as the Gelephu project.
It is believed that the King’s official announcement of this project on December 17, Bhutan’s National Day, is a key sign of Bhutan’s expectations for India’s involvement in the regional hub project.
According to sources, the Sarpang Special Economic Zone (SEZ) will integrate cutting-edge technological advancements while maintaining distinctively Bhutanese features, such as sustainable enterprises from cultural and spiritual hubs. Additionally, they plan to provide employment for thousands of Bhutanese youth who are leaving the nation quickly since there aren’t enough possibilities for them back home. During his official visit to Gelephu in July, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale received a comprehensive briefing on the project.
“His Majesty the King discussed the Gelephu project in his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as his first initiative,” said Lotay Tshering, the prime minister of Bhutan, in an interview with The Hindu last month. Following the meeting between the two presidents, we comprehend that India will offer Bhutan all the support it can.” Following his tour this year, during which he closely monitored his commitment to advancing the Bhutan-China negotiations on border resolution, King Jigme Khesar is making his second visit to India. The discussions put the border arrangement with China in jeopardy and endangered New Delhi’s power.
The speed of resolving border disputes with China has accelerated in recent years, according to Bhutan’s Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji, who spoke last week in Thimphu about his trip to Beijing, where he conducted the 25th round of border negotiations. “During my time here after COVID, we have inked two deals. According to Bhutanese media, Dr. Dorji revealed, ‘During my recent visit to China, we also inked an accord to collaborate with the technical team [JETTI] for the purpose of boundary demarcation.’ The first is the three-stage road map, which clearly defines how we will resolve the border.” He stated, “We have reached a stage where we are on this vast and accelerated progress.” The sole statements from New Delhi regarding the ongoing discussions are that Bhutan and India are in close communication about all matters, and that India “Maintains an unwavering vigilance over any unfolding events that have the potential to affect the security of the nation.” The fact that the country has made two royal trips in a year suggests that he is conscious of these sensitivities, even as his king looks for fresh opportunities for collaboration in the northeast.
