Ahead of Prime Minister Tshering Tobgays travel to Bhutan from March 14–18, the union cabinet authorized on Wednesday two agreements to be inked with the kingdom in the areas of energy and food safety. This is Tobgays first overseas trip since taking office in January, the month after the national election in his own country. Senior government representatives as well as the ministries of industry, energy and natural resources, and foreign affairs of Bhutan will travel with him.Backdrop of visit The visit is happening in the context of reports that China and Bhutan are getting close to reaching a settlement to end their protracted border conflict. Important stretches of the border between India and Bhutan, particularly the Doklam plateau, may be significantly more secure as a result of this development. Tobgay is in India on an official visit, arranged by his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. He will have one-on-one talks with Modi in addition to meeting President Droupadi Murmu. In addition to other dignitaries, S Jaishankar, the minister of external affairs, will also meet with Tobgay. Mumbai is also on his itinerary for this visit.Announcement of PM Tobgays visit:Prime Minister of Bhutan, Dasho Tshering Tobgay will be on an official visit to India from 14-18 March 2024 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The upcoming visit is Prime Minister Tshering Tobgays first overseas visit after assuming office in January 2024.… pic.twitter.com/oC32l8QGR5— ANI (@ANI) March 13, 2024Indias preparations for visitPrior to the visit, Prime Minister Modi presided over a Cabinet meeting where the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Bhutan Food and Drug Authority (BFDA) signed an agreement for collaboration in food safety. An official statement claims that the agreement will facilitate trade between the two countries.An agreement of understanding for increased cooperation in energy efficiency and conservation measures was also authorized by the Cabinet. It was signed by the energy departments of Bhutan and Indias Bureau of Energy Efficiency.India-Bhutan relationsAccording to the external affairs ministry, India and Bhutan have healthy ties of cooperation and friendship, which are built on goodwill, mutual understanding, and trust. The two nations will get an opportunity to evaluate the current state of their relationship and discuss possible directions for future development during Tobgays visit. Plans to be implemenetedTo prove that items are being exported from Bhutan to India in accordance with FSSAI regulations, BFDA will provide a health certificate. In addition to lowering compliance expenses for both parties, this will facilitate business dealings.By promoting the star labeling program created by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, India hopes to help Bhutan improve household energy efficiency under this Memorandum of Understanding. Building codes that are tailored to Bhutans climate would be made easier by drawing on Indias experience. The institutionalization of energy auditor training is also intended to create a pool of energy professionals in Bhutan.India also wants to assist Bhutan in putting the standards and labelling program into effect. Energy-intensive appliances are the primary source of increased power consumption in homes and businesses, yet this can be minimized if customers choose high-efficiency appliances.Indias external aid The department for the promotion of industry and internal trade, the external affairs ministry, and the power ministry collaborated to prepare the MoU. It will make it possible to share data, knowledge, and technological know-how on energy conservation and efficiency. With an expenditure of ₹2,068 crore, Bhutan received the largest portion of Indias external aid portfolio in the budget year 2024–25.Additionally, India has been closely monitoring Chinas and Bhutans efforts to settle their boundary issue. Late last year, in Beijing, Bhutan and China conducted their 25th round of boundary negotiations and agreed to form a joint technical team to work on boundary demarcation. The two nations last had border negotiations in 2016, and the current accord expands on a three-step plan for resolving the boundary dispute that was finalized in 2021.
