Jaishankar met Bhutan's king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk, Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and Foreign Minister Damcho Dorjee.
In a significant development, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar as well as acting US envoy to India MaryKay L Carlson held talks with Bhutanese leaders in Thimphu separately amid reports that Chinese were once again amassing troops near Doklam plateau and other areas.
Jaishankar met Bhutan's king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk, Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and Foreign Minister Damcho Dorjee. However, after agreeing to disengage border personnel to end a more than two-month face-off at Doklam tri-junction on August 28, fresh reports suggest movement of Chinese troops in the area last week. During the Doklam crisis, Bhutan had almost endorsed the Indian position insisting that the issue be settled through diplomatic engagements.
An official statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that the Foreign Secretary held discussions on the complete range of bilateral relations, including implementation of the ongoing projects assisted by India.
He also discussed Bhutan's priorities for its 12th Five Year Plan, trade and economic ties, hydropower cooperation, and people-to-people contacts. But the presence of Foreign Secretary and the US official in Thimphu attains considerable significance at a time when bilateral ties between India and China are not yet normal.
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China did not observe the convention of inviting representatives of the Indian Army for the annual border personnel meeting (BPM) to mark their national day on October 1. Earlier also China did not attend a similar meeting to mark India's Independence Day celebrations on August 15.
Sources here said the visit was aimed at ironing out some glitches that had crept in on key issues like hydropower projects and pricing, GST and rupee shortage, including resolving the problems left over after India's demonetisation. Currency worth Rs 200 crore, demonetised by India, are stuck in Bhutanese Banks. With elections scheduled in the tiny Himalayan kingdom in 2018, it is expected to become an issue for some elements to deride India.
Sources added that after August 28 understanding, Chinese forces withdrew to a position ahead of Yatung, occupied by them before Doklam happened. India took offensive and prevented Chinese to build roads to Doklam to connect it with Yatung. In recent weeks, they have been seen building pre-fabricated structures indicating their intention to stay put despite the oncoming winter. On the latest development, government sources here said that India's opposition was limited to construction of road, which was successfully accomplished.
"Our issue was to prevent any road construction on the disputed land. We didn't mark any objection to patrol parties visiting the area," a top government source told DNA.
Bhutan shares 470 kilometre-long border with China, out of which 25 per cent is disputed. There is a lurking fear in India that Bhutan had opened back-channel talks with Beijing to settle its disputes without involving India. There are also reports of Bhutan ceding Doklam Plateau located on the strategic tri-junction of Bhutan, Chumbi Valley and Sikkim in lieu of some concessions in other sectors.
According to Ambassador P Stobdan, the area is extremely critical to India's security as it overlooks the Siliguri corridor. China wanted Bhutan to cede a 269 square kilometre area in the west that included Dramana, Shakhatoe and Sinchulung for which it had offered a swap deal to give 495 square kilometre area of Pasamlung and Jakarlung in northern Bhutan.
Carlson, during her Thimphu visit, also met Bhutan's Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay. Since Washington does not have any diplomatic mission in Thimphu, the American Embassy in New Delhi manages US relations with Bhutan.
The US had extended a tacit support to India during the India-China military stand-off.
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