‘It's Too Early to Call Off SAARC and Say It Isn't Relevant or Viable'

Bhutan PM says that if India and Pakistan don’t work together for the region, nothing can move ahead; we must march together without countering each other

- Suhasini Haidar

Six months after he was sworn in as Prime Minister of Bhutan, Dr. Lotay Tshering is still treating his patients and had a surgery scheduled just hours before travelling to Brussels for talks with EU leaders. In his first major interview since the elections, Dr. Tshering speaks about major themes in Indo Bhutan relations, the SAARC region as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit, widely expected in July.

Is the delay in PM Modi’s visit to Bhutan, which was expected in the past year, due to delays in completing the Mangdechhu hydropower project, which he is due to inaugurate?

No, I want to correct you, there is no delay, as no timeline was set. I am very happy Mr. Modi accepted my invitation to visit when I was in Delhi, but I also told him that there was no need to rush. He has so many engagements laid out in his new tenure, and we look forward to his visit here when that is possible. As far as Mangdechhu project is concerned, high-level visits are not connected to inaugurations or media events. Mangdechhu is in the final stages of completion now, and we have other bilateral projects that are being worked on: for example the South Asia Satellite programme. In my party’s (DNT) manifesto we had promised a stand-alone, multi-disciplinary hospital outside of the planned expenses, and India is willing to support us on that. We have requested another government-to-government mega-hydropower project on the Sankosh river, which may see some progress as well.

Have other bilateral issues, such as the tariffs and Cross border Trade in Electricity (CBTE) guidelines, now been sorted out?