PM Modi picks Bhutan for first foreign trip

[AVERAGE INDIAN]

Sending out a signal that South Asia was the topmost foreign policy priority for him, Narendra Modi is all set to embark on his first ever two-day trip as Prime Minister to Bhutan this month to further cement economic and political linkages.

Modi, along with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, is slated to travel to Thimphu on a state level visit during June 16-17 and meet young King Jigme KN Wangchuck and Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay.

Top government sources said that Modi opted for Bhutan as his first stop after being sworn in as Prime Minister as he wants to build cooperative economic linkages among India's neighbours as well as check the state of Thimphu's growing relationship with China. An advance liaison team of senior Indian officials is leaving for Bhutan to prepare for Modi's visit on Saturday.

It is understood that Modi has plans to visit Japan after his Bhutan visit as there is a standing invitation from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and then meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of BRICS summit in Brazil on July 15-16. "The Prime Minister chose Bhutan as his first visit as India wants to strengthen economic cooperation with the country with four on-going hydel projects and another four on the anvil through the public-private partnership route. One must remember that Central Delhi was saved from total blackout during July 30-31, 2012 grid collapse due to Bhutan hydel power. More than Rs. 10,000 crore has been invested by India in these projects with Rs. 5,400 crores given by New Delhi for 11th five year plan of Bhutan," said a senior South Block official.

Apart from the economic linkages, Thimphu is a strategic ally of New Delhi as it sits on the Silliguri corridor and is part of Indian defence against any Chinese adventure or assertion through the Chumbi Valley.

South Block sources said that Modi will not only assure his Bhutanese counterpart of more funds for economic development but also speed up economic integration of Thimphu with India.

PM Modi picks Bhutan for first foreign trip - Hindustan Times

 

[Blackwater]

aunty mast ha yaar!!!


any how on topic: wise move, we should consolidate immediate on our neighbors including pakis if possible before they go to chinis

 

[AVERAGE INDIAN]

aunty mast ha yaar!!!

she is little old for me i am 32

 

[Blackwater]

she is little old for me i am 32

experience count mate

 

[anoop_mig25]

any how on topic: wise move, we should consolidate immediate on our neighbors including pakis if possible before they go to chinis

Well pakis are always open to highest bidder

But for chinese they do it for free

Since their friendship is higher then mountains and deeper then Ocean

Indian gov must concentrate on maldives , srilanks amd bangladesh

 

[ninja85]

aunty mast ha yaar!!!

blackwater loves aunties.

 

[Compersion]

Seems to be a conservative choice to visit Bhutan.

 

[Ray]

Bhutan is a lovely country.

Been there.

Great peace envelops the mind.

Ideal to recoup after a hectic election campaign and also to honour a loyal neighbour.

 

[Free Karma]

MEA posted this video today:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAC2khcvZEU


Basically:
July= Bhutan, Japan, BRICS
Sept: U.S, UN general summit
November: G-20 summit, Possible SAARC summit at Kathmandu, not confirmed.

 

[Neil]

Why Modi chose Bhutan as his first foreign destination as PM



Narendra Modi personally chose to make Bhutan the destination of his maiden foreign trip as India Prime Minister. The visit is likely to take place in mid-June and a multi-ministerial team of government of India officials left for Bhutan this noon on an Advance Security Liaison to prepare for Modi's visit. Modi zeroed in on Bhutan for this unique and unprecedented honour (no previous Indian PM has made Bhutan the destination of his or her first foreign trip) for a variety of reasons.

Bhutan had conducted Operation All Clear in December 2013 against India-specific insurgents and thrown them out in this military operation – something that no neighbour has ever done for India. Apart from Bhutan being a zero-problem model neighbour, Thimphu also offers a zero-problem destination for the Indian PM's maiden foreign visit. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka—two other Saarc neighbours which were discussed in the PMO and the MEA as possible destinations of Modi's first foreign trip—would have created problems domestically. Modi's visit to Bangladesh at this time would be meaningless till the two sides make a forward movement on the two pending bilateral issues – Land Boundary Agreement and Teesta water accord, both of which are being stiffly opposed by the state government of West Bengal.

Besides, the BJP itself opposed the LBA when the UPA government had pitched for it strongly last year. Visiting Sri Lanka at this point of time by the Indian PM would have been like stoning a beehive as it would have been vociferously condemned by all political parties in Tamil Nadu. Therefore, neighbours like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were best avoided at this point of time. Naturally, the PMO and the MEA would like Modi to travel to these countries at a more opportune time whenever that window was to open up for Modi.

Modi had other choices too from a list of major powers like Russia, Japan and China for his maiden foreign trip. The first of this list—Russia—eliminated itself by its weird move of lifting its embargo on selling weapons and defence equipment to Pakistan. Japan and China could have been possible destinations, the former because it is the only major power with zero bilateral problems with India and the latter because Chinese premier Li Keqiang had unveiled an important piece of diplomatic symbolism last year by making India the destination of his first foreign visit. But then given the deep distrust and bitter rivalry between Japan and China, choosing either of them for Modi's first foreign trip would have upset the other.

Modi could have done to China what China did to India by making China the first stop of his foreign tour and then traveling on to Japan for his second leg of his maiden foreign tour like Li did. The Chinese PM had landed in India first and from New Delhi had proceeded to Pakistan. But then this move too wouldn't have been non-controversial which Modi wanted for his first foreign trip. Thus, Bhutan was found to be the ideal choice. It also shows that while Modi continues to keep foreign policy high up in his scheme of things, his immediate focus is on contiguous neighbours. The last prime ministerial visit from India to Bhutan was six years ago when Manmohan Singh had visited the country in May 2008. Top Bhutanese leadership, including the King and members of the royal family and his prime minister have been visiting India regularly.

The China factor is an important part of the conversation on anything related to Bhutan these days. Bhutan shares 605-kilometer border with India and 470-km border with China. Beijing is very keen on establishing full-fledged diplomatic relations with Bhutan and open its embassy in Thimphu. The Chinese move has made many in the Indian strategic establishment jittery.

Modi choosing Bhutan as the first destination of his foreign trip would go a long way in reassuring the Bhutanese about India, particularly after the UPA government's faux pas of cancelling fuel subsidies to Bhutan last year, only to revoke the cancellation shortly thereafter. The extremely close political ties between India and Bhutan are also reflected in their bilateral trade as India is Bhutan's largest trading partner and accounts for 98 percent of its exports and 90 percent of its imports. Besides, Bhutan is set to be a major source of hydel power for India in a few years as India is set to reap dividends of its $1.2 billion worth investment on the construction of three hydropower projects in Bhutan having a combined installed capacity of 1,400 megawatts. Energy, infrastructure, rail connectivity and trade and investments will be high on Modi's agenda in his talks with the Bhutanese leaders.

The writer is a Firstpost columnist and a strategic analyst who tweets @Kishkindha.

Why Modi chose Bhutan as his first foreign destination as PM | Firstpost

 

[Blackwater]

blackwater loves aunties.

u got it mate

 

[Blackwater]

Bhutan is a lovely country.

Been there.

Great peace envelops the mind.

Ideal to recoup after a hectic election campaign and also to honour a loyal neighbour.

sir strategically also imp. bhutani were inclined towards china, thanks to kangrass. we must consolidate our immediate neighbors

 

[AVERAGE INDIAN]

 

[Ray]

sir strategically also imp. bhutani were inclined towards china, thanks to kangrass. we must consolidate our immediate neighbors

The Dolam Plateau of Bhutan where the Chinese regularly ingress and the Chumbi Valley (or chicken's neck) is very strategic from the Indian standpoint.

Chumbi Valley

http://wikimapia.org/16785967/Chumbi-Valley

Dolam Plateau is the at the trijunction of Tibet, Bhutan and India. It is a part of Bhutan and is the bufffer between Tibet and the Siliguri Plains.

Here is a fictional story for people who are interested in timepass to understand the importance of Chumbi Valley
THE DRAGON STRIKES AGAIN: PART - IX
CYCLIC: THE DRAGON STRIKES AGAIN: PART - IX

 

[amoy]

China, Bhutan to hold 22nd round of boundary talks on Thursday

China shares 470 kilometres border with Bhutan, which is also close to India's "chicken's neck" - the narrow Siliguri Corridor which links the northeast passage.

 

[bose]

China, Bhutan to hold 22nd round of boundary talks on Thursday

Off course Under watchful eyes if India... Remember what we did to the other party...

 

[amoy]

Off course Under watchful eyes if India... Remember what we did to the other party...

A solution to border disputes is not a piece of cake since no one is willing to give up that pound of flesh. Hence Bhutan and China would work on the easy part - to establish diplomatic ties first, like Nepal did.

Don't over-rate the two-party democracy of Bhutan. Virtually both r puppeteered by the Monarchy to perpetuate its own rule, headed either by royal cronies or by old bureaucrats. They play both sides, sometimes one party showing up as "pro-China" for pressuring India for more favours (India had to budge to resume "fuel subsidy" then), or sometimes the other as another "countering" interface to fine-tune Bhutan's diplomatic posture towards India like a swinging pendulum.

An unnamed serving minister in the National Assembly is leading the PDP and includes as its members retired government officials, businessmen and community leaders.

The BPUP said in a statement that the party was formed by four serving Royal Advisory Councilors and 73 chimis (people's representatives to the National Assembly).

The closer Bhutan gets to China, the more it can milk India!

 

[bose]

A solution to border disputes is not a piece of cake since no one is willing to give up that pound of flesh. Hence Bhutan and China would work on the easy part - to establish diplomatic ties first, like Nepal did.

Bhutan have every right to have diplomatic relation to any country it deem fit... The problem will start when it will start playing one against another...

Don't over-rate the two-party democracy of Bhutan. Virtually both r puppeteered by the Monarchy to perpetuate its own rule, headed either by royal cronies or by old bureaucrats. They play both sides, sometimes one party showing up as "pro-China" for pressuring India for more favours (India had to budge to resume "fuel subsidy" then), or sometimes the other as another "countering" interface to fine-tune Bhutan's diplomatic posture towards India like a swinging pendulum.





The closer Bhutan gets to China, the more it can milk India!

India has already been more accommodating to Bhutan and Nepal... Bhutan stands to lose by playing one against another... It has immense potential on hydroelectric power generation and food processing that has a very good market in India already...