Foreign relations of Bhutan

Bhutan has diplomatic relations with 54 states and the European Union.[1][2]

Bhutan
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In 1971, sponsored by India, Bhutan began to develop its foreign relations by joining the United Nations, though it has no diplomatic relations with any of the permanent members on the UN Security Council. In 1981, Bhutan joined the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, followed by the World Health Organization and UNESCO in 1982. It is also an active member of SAARC. Bhutan is currently a member of 45 international organizations.[3]

Under Article 20 of the Constitution of Bhutan enacted in 2008, Bhutan's foreign relations fall under the purview of the Druk Gyalpo on the advice of the Executive, namely the Prime Minister and other Ministers of the Lhengye Zhungtshog including the Minister of Foreign Affairs.[4]

Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Bhutan has diplomatic relations with: Bhutan has embassies in Bangladesh, Belgium, India, Kuwait and Thailand.[5] Conversely, only Bangladesh and India have embassies in Thimphu. Moreover, Denmark has an representative office in Thimphu.[6]

Diplomatic relations of Bhutan
#Country[1]Date
1 IndiaJanuary 1968
2 Bangladesh12 April 1973
3 Kuwait23 May 1983
4   Nepal3 June 1983
5 Maldives20 July 1984
6 Netherlands10 June 1985
– European Union9 August 1985
7 Denmark13 August 1985
8 Sweden27 August 1985
9  Switzerland16 September 1985
10 Norway5 December 1985
11 Japan28 March 1986
12 Finland1 May 1986
13 Sri Lanka13 May 1987
14 South Korea24 September 1987
15 Pakistan15 December 1988
16 Austria8 May 1989
17 Thailand14 November 1989
18 Bahrain6 January 1992
19 Australia14 September 2002
20 Singapore20 September 2002
21 Canada25 June 2003
22 Belgium21 January 2009
23 Brazil21 September 2009
24 Afghanistan20 April 2010
25 Spain11 February 2011
26 Cuba26 September 2011
27 Fiji18 November 2011
28 Morocco21 November 2011
29 Luxembourg1 December 2011
30 Czech Republic2 December 2011
31 Serbia9 December 2011
32 Indonesia15 December 2011
33 Mongolia18 January 2012
34 Vietnam19 January 2012
35 Myanmar1 February 2012
36 Argentina14 March 2012
37 Costa Rica21 March 2012
38 Andorra23 March 2012
39 Mauritius2 July 2012
40 Eswatini21 August 2012
41 United Arab Emirates13 September 2012
42 Slovenia13 September 2012
43 Slovakia26 September 2012
44 Armenia26 September 2012
45 Turkey26 September 2012
46 Egypt14 November 2012
47 Kazakhstan20 November 2012
48 Poland29 November 2012
49 Colombia21 December 2012
50 Tajikistan24 January 2013
51 Azerbaijan7 February 2013
52 Oman15 March 2013
53 Germany25 November 2020
54 Israel12 December 2020[2]

Bangladesh

Bangladesh is one of only two nations to maintain a residential embassy in Thimphu. Bhutan was the first country in the world to recognize Bangladeshi independence in 1971. The two states have agreed to develop hydropower in the Himalayas, as well as initiate free trade and transhipment through Bangladeshi ports. They also cooperate in water resources management.

Both Bhutan and Bangladesh are members of SAARC and BIMSTEC.

China
Main article: Bhutan–China relations

Bhutan has no diplomatic relations with its northern neighbor, the People's Republic of China, and is one of the few countries to not recognise or have relations with either China or Taiwan. The border between Bhutan and China has been closed since the invasion of Tibet in 1959, causing an influx of refugees. The border also remains undelineated; in 1961 China published a map that altered the traditional border. Tensions have since lessened, especially after the signing of a 1998 agreement on border peace and tranquility, the first bilateral agreement between China and Bhutan. Despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations, Bhutan has also maintained an Honorary Consul in Macau since 2000 and Hong Kong since 2004.

In late 2005, Bhutan claimed that Chinese soldiers were building roads and bridges within Bhutanese territory. Bhutanese Foreign Minister Khandu Wangchuk took up the matter with Chinese authorities after the issue was raised in the Bhutanese parliament. In response, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang of the People's Republic of China has said that the border remains in dispute and that the two sides are continuing to work for a peaceful and cordial resolution of the dispute.[7] The Bhutanese newspaper Kuensel has said that China might use the roads to further Chinese claims along the border.[8]

India
Main article: Bhutan–India relations

Historically, ties with India have been close. Both countries signed a first ever Friendship treaty in 1865 between Bhutan and British India. However, when Bhutan became a monarchy, British India was the first country to recognize it and renewed the treaty in 1910. Bhutan was the first country to recognize Indian independence and renewed the age old treaty with the new government in 1949, including a clause that India would assist Bhutan in foreign relations. On February 8, 2007, the Indo-Bhutan Friendship Treaty[9] was substantially revised under the Bhutanese King, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. In the Treaty of 1949 Article 2 read as "The Government of India undertakes to exercise no interference in the internal administration of Bhutan. On its part the Government of Bhutan agrees to be guided by the advice of the Government of India in regard to its external relations."[10] In the revised treaty this now reads as, "In keeping with the abiding ties of close friendship and cooperation between Bhutan and India, the Government of the Kingdom of Bhutan and the Government of the Republic of India shall cooperate closely with each other on issues relating to their national interests. Neither government shall allow the use of its territory for activities harmful to the national security and interest of the other." The revised treaty also includes in it the preamble "Reaffirming their respect for each other's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity", an element that was absent in the earlier version. The Indo-Bhutan Friendship Treaty of 2007 strengthens Bhutan's status as an independent and sovereign nation.

There also exists bi-lateral agreement between Bhutanese and Indian Government where-in citizens of both nations can travel freely in other country without passport and visa.

Nepal
Main article: Bhutan-Nepal relations

Nepal and Bhutan established relations in 1983. However, since 1992, relations with Nepal have been tense due to the repatriation of refugees from Bhutan.[11]

Philippines

The Philippines and Bhutan have no formal relations yet. The Philippines has an embassy in New Delhi, India as representative to dialogues with Bhutan. Numerous senators and high-profile personalities from the Philippines have visited Bhutan and have been pushing for the Gross National Happiness to also be applied in the Philippines, citing its effectiveness and efficiency in nation-building, environmental and cultural conservation, and human rights upholding. Filipino senator Loren Legarda, a United Nations Global Champion for Resilience, has been pushing for greater diplomatic relations between the two countries. In September 2014, the Prime Minister of Bhutan visited the Philippines and the Asian Development Bank headquarters in Manila.[12] In 2018, the Philippines sent its engineers to Bhutan's capital in a bid to develop Bhutan's space program that will be launched in May.[13]

South Korea

High-level Exchanges from Bhutan to South Korea: July 1994 External Affairs Minister Tshering, May 1995 External Affairs Minister Tshering, October 1998 External Affairs Minister Tshering, September 2002 Industry and Commerce Minister K. Wangchuk, May 2005 Ambassador to Korea Jigme Tshultim, November 2006 Housing and Engineering Minister Kinzang Dorji, February 2007 Culture Minister Jigmi Thinley, April 2007 Public Prosecutor General Damcho Dorji, June 2007 Information and Communication Minister Leki Dorji (ACD), October 2010 Ambassador to Korea Bap Kesang, January 2014 Information and Communication Minister Lyonpo Dungyel, August 2014 Agriculture Vice Minister Tenzin Dhendup.[14]

Turkey

See Bhutan–Turkey relations

  • Both countries established diplomatic relations in 2012.[15]
  • Bhutan and Turkey cooperate through their respective embassies in New Delhi.[16]
  • Trade volume between the two countries was 1.58 million USD in 2018 (Bhutanese exports/imports: 1.48/0.1 million USD).[15]

United States
Main article: Bhutan–United States relations

Transnational issues

Bhutan has relations with other nations based on transnational issues. Among these issues are extradition, terrorism, and refugees. To a limited extent, Bhutanese law provides frameworks for cooperation with countries which Bhutan has no formal mission.

Extradition

Bhutan has a legislated policy on extradition of criminals, both to and from the kingdom. Any nation, with or without formal relations, may request the extradition of fugitives who abscond to Bhutan. The Extradition Act requires nations to provide "all relevant evidence and information" about the accused, after which the Royal Government may in its discretion refer the matter to the High Court of Bhutan. The Court may then issue a summons or warrant, conduct an inquiry, and collect evidence, holding the accused for a maximum of 30 days. Alternatively, the Royal Government may refer the matter to the courts for trial within Bhutan. Bhutan imposes punishments for offenses committed in treaty states generally, and for offenses in other states resulting in return to Bhutan. Offenses are weighed according to gravity, determined by a schedule and two-part test: extraditable offenses are those enumerated (including murder, theft, forgery, and smuggling), or which in Bhutan would be punished by a prison term exceeding twelve months.[17] All felonies in Bhutan are punishable by a minimum of three years' imprisonment.[18]

Bhutan will refuse requests for extradition if the Royal Government or its courts determine the person is accused of a political offense.[17]

International Cooperation against terrorism

Bhutan cooperates with India to expel Nagaland separatists; lacking any treaty describing the boundary, Bhutan and China continue negotiations to establish a common boundary alignment to resolve territorial disputes arising from substantial cartographic discrepancies, the largest of which lie in Bhutan's northwest and along the Chumbi salient.

Refugee resettlement
Main article: Bhutanese refugees

The U.S. has offered to resettle 60,000 of the 107,000 Bhutanese refugees of Nepalese origin now living in seven U.N. refugee camps in southeastern Nepal. Six other nations—Australia, Canada, Norway, Netherlands, New Zealand and Denmark—have offered to resettle 10,000 each.[19]

Other countries also operate resettlement programs in the camps.[20] Norway has already settled 200 Bhutanese refugees, and Canada has agreed to accept up to 5,000 through to 2012.[21]

See also

Notes and references
  1. "Bilateral relations". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bhutan. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  2. "Israel normalizes ties with Bhutan". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  3. "Foreign Relation and Trade". Bhutan Portal online. Government of Bhutan. Archived from the original on 2011-04-16. Retrieved 2011-03-29.
  4. "Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan (English)" (PDF). Government of Bhutan. 2008-07-18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2010-10-13.
  5. "Embassies and missions". Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  6. "Foreign Missions". Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  7. "中国不丹同意平等友好协商早日解决边界问题" [China and Bhutan agree to equal and friendly consultations to resolve the border issue as soon as possible]. China.com News. 2005-12-01. Retrieved 2011-03-29.
  8. Hindustan times article Archived December 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  9. "Indo-Bhutan Friendship Treaty" (PDF). Government of India.
  10. "Treaty of 1949". Government of India. 1949.
  11.  This article incorporates public domain material from the Library of Congress Country Studies document: "Nepal" (PDF).
  12. "Bhutan Prime Minister Visits ADB to Celebrate Three-Decade Partnership". 2014-09-05.
  13. "BHUTAN-1 expected to be in space by May".
  14. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-09-04. Retrieved 2015-08-12.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. "Economic Relations between Turkey and Bhutan". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey.
  16. "Economic Development and Social Changes in Bhutan." pp. 82-99 in Urmila Phadnis, S.D. Muni, and Kalim Bahadur (eds.), Domestic Conflicts in South Asia. New Delhi: South Asian Publishers, 1986.
  17. "Extradition Act, 1989 (1991)" (PDF). Government of Bhutan. 1991. Retrieved 2011-03-29.
  18. "Penal Code of Bhutan" (PDF). Government of Bhutan. 2004-08-11. Retrieved 2011-01-21.
  19. "First of 60,000 refugees from Bhutan arrive in U.S." CNN. 25 March 2008. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
  20. IRIN (10 November 2008). "Nepal: Bhutanese refugees find new life beyond the camps". UNHCR Refworld. Archived from the original on 2012-10-08. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
  21. Government of Canada (9 December 2008). "Resettling Bhutanese Refugees – Update on Canada's Commitment". Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Archived from the original on 21 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-26.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Department of State website https://www.state.gov/countries-areas/. (U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets)

Further reading
  • Marian Gallenkamp (2010). "Between China, India and the Refugees: Understanding Bhutan's National Security Scenario" (PDF). Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS). Retrieved 2013-02-05.
  • Matteo Miele, Chinese Shadows on Bhutanese Independence after the Treaty of Punakha. The Tibetan Buddhist Connection and the British Diplomatic Action, in Seiji Kumagai (ed.), Buddhism, Culture and Society in Bhutan, Vajra Publications, Kathmandu, 2018, pp. 215–239
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