Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade RGOB
The 5th Annual Bhutan-India Development Cooperation Talks was held on 8 December 2016 in Thimphu. The Bhutanese delegation was led by Foreign Secretary, Tshering Dorji and the Indian delegation by Mr. Amar Sinha, Secretary (Economic Relations), Ministry of External Affairs, GoI.
With Bhutan’s 11th Five Year Plan entering its fourth year, the two sides reviewed the overall progress of PTA and SDP projects. The Indian side endorsed reprioritization of 30 projects and change of scope in 5 projects proposed by the RGoB under the PTA component of GoI’s assistance to the 11th FYP.
The Bhutanese side thanked the Indian side for the timely and consistent disbursement of funds and also highlighted the fund release priorities for the remaining year of the 11th FYP.
The Bhutan-India Development Cooperation Talks is the overarching mechanism for discussing India’s bilateral development assistance to RGoB. India has committed Rs. 28000 million as Project Tied Assistance (PTA), Rs. 8500 million for Programme Grant and Rs. 8500 million for Small Development Projects (SDPs) for Bhutan’s 11th Five Year Plan (July 2013 to June 2018). India has also granted Rs.5000 million for the Economic Stimulus Plan. A total of 83 PTA projects and 596 SDPs are being implemented during the current Plan period.
The two sides agreed to hold the next annual Development Cooperation Talks in New Delhi, India in mid 2017, on a mutually agreed date.
The 5th Annual India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks was successfully held in a friendly atmosphere in keeping with the age old ties of friendship between the two countries.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Embassy of India
Royal Government of Bhutan Thimphu