Bhutan and China sign MoU to expedite boundary talks

Bhutan and China have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as a three-step roadmap to expedite boundary talks.

Bhutan shares a border with China that is over 400-km-long. Both nations have held 24 rounds of military talks to resolve their boundary dispute.

The country believes the MoU on the three-step roadmap will provide a fresh impetus to the boundary talks.

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The Bhutanese foreign ministry said "The negotiations which have been conducted in a spirit of understanding and accommodation have been guided by the 1988 Joint Communique on the Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the Boundary and the 1998 agreement on the maintenance of peace, tranquillity, and status quo in the Bhutan-China Border areas.''

"During the 10th Expert Group Meeting in Kunming in April this year, the two sides agreed on a three-step roadmap that will build on the 1988 Guiding Principles and help to expedite the ongoing boundary negotiations," it said.

The pact between the two countries comes as India and China are locked in a standoff at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

In response, Arindam Bagchi, the Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson, said ''We have noted the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Bhutan and China today. You are aware that Bhutan and China have been holding boundary negotiations since 1984. India has similarly been holding boundary negotiations with China.''