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Visiting Chief Operations Officer (COO) of the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) Batoo Tshering met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday and discussed various aspects of bilateral relations, with a particular focus on strengthening bilateral defence cooperation, an official release said.
During the meeting, enhancing Bhutan's defence preparedness was also discussed. Rajnath Singh reaffirmed India's commitment to supporting Bhutan's national defence priorities, including providing defence equipment and assets, in line with India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy, the Ministry of Defence said in the release. Tshering expressed his gratitude for India's continued assistance in augmenting Bhutan's defence capacities, which includes the modernisation of the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) and the training of its personnel. He emphasised the Royal Bhutan Army's steadfast commitment to working closely with India to achieve their shared vision of peace, security, and prosperity in the region. The visit, which runs from February 2 to 5, is part of the ongoing high-level engagements between India and Bhutan, aimed at further strengthening their defence and security relations. India and Bhutan share a long history of diplomatic and defence cooperation. Established in 1968, the diplomatic relationship between the two countries has always been guided by the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, initially signed in 1949 and later revised in 2007. The two countries have maintained regular political and official exchanges, which have further cemented their strong bilateral ties. Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first overseas visit after assuming office in 2014 was to Bhutan, and he also made a state visit to the country in August 2019 after assuming office again, furthering the strategic partnership. People-to-people ties between India and Bhutan are robust, with around 50,000 Indians working in Bhutan across key sectors such as infrastructure, hydropower, education, and commerce. These contributions have been instrumental in Bhutan's development and are widely recognised both within the country and internationally. (ANI)
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