India-Bhutan strengthen defence ties: Lt Gen Batoo Tshering meets Rajnath Singh

New Delhi: The Chief Operations Officer (COO), of Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) Lieutenant General (Lt Gen) Batoo Tshering met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday and held discussions concerning a wide range of issues on bilateral relations, with a strong emphasis on defence cooperation.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Rajnath Singh reaffirmed India's readiness to support Bhutan in capability enhancement for defence preparedness, including provisioning of defence equipment and assets to augment the capacities of Bhutan, as per its national priorities and in line with India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy."
The top Bhutanese military commander is on a six-day visit to India from Saturday. This visit coincided with the two-day visit of the Bhutanese King His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, who was in India on February 2 and 3 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the Maha Kumbh Mela.
During the meeting, Lt Gen Batoo Tshering expressed his gratitude for India's continued support in modernizing Bhutan’s defence infrastructure and training RBA personnel.
He also reaffirmed the RBA’s commitment to working closely with India to achieve a shared vision of regional peace and prosperity. The MoD highlighted that this visit was part of ongoing high-level engagements aimed at deepening bilateral defence and security relations.
Upon arrival, he visited the Officers Training Academy in Gaya and several significant Buddhist cultural sites, reflecting the deep-rooted historical and cultural ties between India and Bhutan.
From February 2 to 5, the General has been in New Delhi, engaging in key discussions with senior Indian officials, including the Chief of the Army Staff, National Security Advisor, Chief of Defence Staff, Defence Secretary, and Foreign Secretary.
As part of his visit, he has also toured key military institutions, including the National Security Guard (NSG) in Manesar and the Defence Image Processing and Analysis Centre (DIPAC).
Before concluding his visit, General Tshering will travel to Kolkata, where he is scheduled to visit the Eastern Command Headquarters of the Indian Army. He will pay tribute at the Vijay Smarak and meet with the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command.
The MoD emphasized that Lt Gen Tshering’s visit is expected to pave the way for further collaboration between the two militaries.
It is anticipated to deepen the strategic relationship between India and Bhutan, enhance their cooperation on matters of mutual interest and ensuring continued peace and security in the region.