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. Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi begins 4-day visit to Bhutan
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.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘Very wealthy people': Trump teases TikTok buyout, China fumes over possible takeover, ‘very soon' - The Economic Times Video
In a bold new twist to the TikTok saga, US President Donald Trump revealed on Fox News that a group of 'very wealthy people' in the United States is prepared to buy the Chinese-owned app TikTok. Trump teased that the buyers' identities will be revealed within two weeks. He also noted that the potential acquisition would likely require approval from China's President Xi Jinping, though Trump said he believes Xi 'will probably do it.'
Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
Chinese Communist Party membership crosses 100 million: Report
China's ruling Communist Party's membership has crossed the 100 million mark, a report said on Monday. The CPC, founded in 1921, had more than 100.27 million members at the end of 2024, up by nearly 1.09 million from 2023, the report released by the Central Organisation Department (COD) of the CPC said. The CPC had 5.25 million primary-level organisations at the end of 2024, an increase of 74,000 compared with the previous year. Headed by Chinese President Xi Jinping , the CPC is one of the few Communist parties in power. Vietnam, Laos, Cuba and North Korea are governed by the parties claiming ideological affiliation to Marxism and Socialism. Live Events Analysts say the growth of the CPC membership was slow due to stricter screening by the COD, the party's top personnel office, the Hong Kong based South China Post reported. The membership data for the previous year was released a day ahead of the July 1 celebrations marking the party's founding. While CPC membership is sought after for its political influence, the members are subjected to much tighter regulations, including membership fees of up to two per cent of their monthly pay, which goes into the party funds, and regular attendance at party meetings and basic organisational "cell" activities, the Post said. By the end of 2024, there were 21.42 million applicants waiting in line, an increase of 440,000 applicants over 2023, according to the COD data. The CPC had nearly 31 million female members, accounting for 30.9 per cent of its total membership, up 0.5 percentage points from the previous year, Xinhua reported. The proportion of members from ethnic minority groups remained at 7.7 per cent. Workers and farmers accounted for about 33 per cent of all CPC members.
Hindustan Times
39 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Three gates of J&K's Baglihar dam opened as Chenab river swells after heavy rain
Three gates of Baglihar Dam in Jammu and Kashmir's (J-K) Ramban district have been opened on Monday as water levels in the Chenab River continued to rise following incessant rainfall in the region, officials said. The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), in coordination with the local administration, issued advisories warning about the increasing water level. (AFP) The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), in coordination with the local administration, issued advisories warning about the increasing water level. As a precaution, river rafting activities have been suspended, and authorities are monitoring the situation. Residents living in low-lying areas along the Chenab River, including Talwada, Kansi Patta, Thanpal, Chinka, Gujrkothi, and Jendi, have been alerted. The administration has stepped up patrolling and advised people to stay away from riverbanks and ensure their livestock are moved to safer places. Earlier, multiple spillway gates of the Salal Dam in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district were opened to manage the rising water levels in the Chenab River due to continuous rainfall. Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Shridhar Patil, acknowledged the situation and urged people to stay away from rivers and overflowing streams. The opening of the gates comes amid a sensitive geopolitical backdrop. Just last month, the gates of the Salal Dam had been kept closed following heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, after the Pahalgam terror attack. India had put the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance as an immediate response to the "barbaric" attack, as part of a broader policy shift announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi under "Operation Sindoor." One of the gates was briefly opened last month to manage overflow due to increased water levels from rainfall, but operations at the dam were largely kept under tight control due to the ongoing diplomatic tensions. The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, is a water-sharing agreement between India and Pakistan that governs the use of six rivers in the Indus Basin--Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej. Under the treaty, the waters of the eastern rivers--Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej-- were allocated to India, while the western rivers--Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab-- were given to Pakistan, with India allowed limited non-consumptive use. India has used this treaty to develop hydroelectric projects like the Salal and Baglihar Dams on the Chenab. These are "run-of-the-river" (ROR) projects, meaning they do not divert or store large amounts of water but still require careful management of flow levels, especially during the monsoon season. On May 12, PM Modi stated that after the 2016 surgical strikes and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes, Operation Sindoor reflects India's ongoing and firm response to terrorism. Referring to the treaty, he declared, "Water and blood cannot flow together," emphasising India's decision to put the treaty in abeyance after the Pahalgam attack. Earlier in May, the Baglihar Dam, located on the Chenab, was forced to open its gates on May 8 due to intense rainfall. The coordinated dam management has so far helped avoid major flooding incidents.
