Ahead of Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay’s India visit, cabinet clears 2 agreements
India and Bhutan enjoy “exemplary ties of friendship and cooperation, based on trust, goodwill and mutual understanding, said the external affairs ministry
NEW DELHI: The union cabinet on Wednesday approved two agreements to be signed with Bhutan in the areas of energy and food safety ahead of Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay’s visit to the country from March 14-18.
This will be Tobgay’s first foreign trip after assuming office in January following Bhutan’s general election. He will be accompanied by Bhutan’s ministers for foreign affairs, energy and natural resources and industry and senior officials.
The visit also comes against the backdrop of reports that Bhutan and China are moving towards a pact to settle their disputed boundary, a development that could have security ramifications for crucial stretches of the India-Bhutan border such as the Doklam plateau.
Tobgay is making an official visit at the invitation of his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. Besides meeting President Droupadi Murmu, he will hold bilateral talks with Modi. Tobgay will also meet external affairs minister S Jaishankar and other dignitaries. He will also travel to Mumbai on this visit.
India and Bhutan enjoy “exemplary ties of friendship and cooperation, based on trust, goodwill and mutual understanding”, and Tobgay’s visit will be an opportunity for the two sides to review progress in their partnership and to discuss ways to expand cooperation, the external affairs ministry said.
Ahead of the visit, a meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Modi approved the signing of an agreement between the Bhutan Food and Drug Authority (BFDA) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for cooperation in food safety. The agreement will facilitate trade between the two countries, an official statement said.
BFDA will issue a health certificate as proof of compliance with requirements prescribed by FSSAI for exporting products from Bhutan to India. This will promote ease of doing business and reduce compliance costs on both sides.
The Cabinet also approved the signing of a memorandum of understanding between India’s Bureau of Energy Efficiency and Bhutan’s department of energy for extending cooperation in energy efficiency and energy conservation measures.
Under this MoU, India aims to assist Bhutan in enhancing energy efficiency in households by promoting the star labelling programme developed by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency. The framing of building codes to suit the climate conditions of Bhutan will be facilitated based on India’s experience. The creation of a pool of energy professionals in Bhutan is also envisaged by institutionalising the training of energy auditors.
India also aims to support Bhutan’s efforts to implement the standards and labelling scheme. Energy-intensive appliances are the main products leading to higher consumption of power in households or commercial establishments and this can be optimised if consumers prefer high-efficiency appliances.
The MoU was prepared by the power ministry in consultation with the external affairs ministry and the department for the promotion of industry and internal trade. It will enable the exchange of information, data and technical experts related to energy efficiency and energy conservation.
Bhutan was provided the largest share of the external aid portfolio in India’s budget for 2024-25, with an outlay of ₹2,068 crore.
The Indian side has also been keeping a close watch on efforts by Bhutan and China to resolve their boundary dispute. Bhutan and China held the 25th round of boundary talks in Beijing late last year and signed an agreement for a joint technical team to work on the demarcation of the boundary.
The two countries held their last round of border talks in 2016 and the new agreement builds on a three-step roadmap finalised in 2021 for resolving the boundary issue.
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