Bhutan PM arrives on Thursday on 3-day India trip

Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay will arrive here on Thursday on a three-day visit during which both sides are expected to deliberate on a range of issues including defence, security and strategic cooperation.

Announcing Tobgay's visit, the Ministry of External Affairs said his visit will provide an opportunity to advance the "exemplary ties of friendship" between the two countries.

Tobgay will hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and call on President Ram Nath Kovind.

In February, Tobgay had visited Guwahati to participate in an investors' summit on the sidelines of which he and Modi had held talks.

Few days after Tobgay's visit, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had quietly travelled to Bhutan where they held extensive talks with the Bhutanese leadership on key strategic issues including the situation in Doklam.

In their talks, Modi and Tobgay are expected to deliberate on the situation in Doklam tri-junction, the site of 73-day-long standoff between Indian and Chinese armies last year.

This year, both the countries are commemorating the golden jubilee of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations.

"The upcoming visit of Prime Minister Tobgay, during the Golden Jubilee year, will provide an opportunity to both the sides to hold discussions on issues of mutual interest, and advancing the exemplary ties of friendship for the benefit of the two peoples," the MEA said.

It said India and Bhutan enjoy unique ties of friendship and cooperation, which are characterised by "utmost trust" and "mutual understanding".

Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day-long standoff in Doklam from June 16 last year after the Indian side stopped construction of a road at the disputed Doklam tri-junction by the Chinese army.

Bhutan and China have a dispute over Doklam.

The face-off ended on August 28. China and Bhutan are engaged in talks over the resolution of the dispute in the area.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and several other union ministers are also scheduled to call on the Bhutanese Prime Minister during his stay here.