Border standoff: Bhutan welcomes Doklam disengagement

Bhutan on Tuesday welcomed the end of India and China standoff at Dokalam tri-junction.

"We hope this contributes to the maintenance of peace and tranquility and status quo along the borders of Bhutan, China and India in keeping with the existing agreements between the respective countries," said a statement from the Bhutanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Doklam standoff had become a nightmare for Bhutan as it feared the People's Liberation Army might aggressively seize disputed territory along the kingdom's western borders. The crisis also brough the about some real questioning about Bhutan's position and vulnerabilities for the first time in decades.

India and China troops had been locked in a standoff in Dokalam since June 16 after Indian troops stopped the Chinese Army from building a road in the disputed area.

The two countries have agreed to a speedy disengagement on the Doklam plateau in Bhutan, ending a military standoff lasting more than two months.

It comes days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled to visit to China on September 3 for the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) summit in Xiamen city.

That the Doklam standoff ended the way it did is being seen as a diplomatic victory for India and the Modi government. More importantly, it has initiated recalibration of the terms of engagement between the two neighbours who have always shared an uneasy relationship.

OneIndia News