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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 2105
ANSWERED ON - 31/07/2026
STRENGTHENING OF REGIONAL COOPERATION WITH NEIGHBOURING
COUNTRIES
2105. SHRI PATHAN YUSUF
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:-
(a) whether India has held bilateral and multilateral discussions with
neighbouring countries to strengthen regional cooperation in trade,
connectivity and security, if so, the details thereof;
(b) the details of major agreements signed with neighbouring countries
during the last two years; and
(c) whether any new initiatives have been launched under India’s
“Neighbourhood First” policy if so, the details thereof and the expected
benefits arising therefrom?
1ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a) Yes, the Government regularly engages with countries in the
neighbourhood on the full gamut of issues of mutual interest, including
in trade, connectivity and security. Country-wise details are given in
the attached Annexure I.
(b) Details of major agreements signed with neighbouring countries
during the last two years are given in the attached Annexure II.
(c) Yes, several new initiatives have been launched under India's
"Neighbourhood First" policy focused on strengthening security (both
traditional and non-traditional including maritime and cyber security,
climate security, disaster preparedness, food security and human
security) and increasing connectivity (trade, energy, transport, digital
and people-to-people connectivity); country-wise details are given in
the attached Annexure III.
2ANNEXURE I
LIST OF RECENT BILATERAL AND MULTILATERAL DISCUSSIONS WITH
NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES TO STRENGTHEN REGIONAL COOPERATION
IN TRADE, CONNECTIVITY AND SECURITY
(A) BANGLADESH
(i) Foreign Office Consultations on 09 December 2024.
(ii) EAM visited Dhaka on 30 December 2025 to attend the funeral of Begum
Khaleda Zia, when a meeting was held with then BNP Chairperson
Tarique Rahman.
(iii) Hon’ble Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla visited Bangladesh on 17 February
2026 for the oath taking ceremony of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
(iv) Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman visited India between 7-9
April 2026 and held meetings with EAM, NSA and Minister of Petroleum &
Natural Gas.
(v) Technical meetings of institutional bilateral mechanisms pertaining to
security and border management, water, trade, connectivity and
development co-operation were held to discuss issues of mutual
importance.
(vi) Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the sixth BIMSTEC Summit held
in Bangkok on 4 April 2025. On the sidelines of the Summit, a bilateral
3meeting was held with Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of
Bangladesh.
(vii) A mid-term review of the BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport
Connectivity was held on 6 March 2025 to assess progress and strategise
future steps for improving regional transport networks. During the
Second BIMSTEC Ports Conclave held in Visakhapatnam in July 2025, the
Government of India announced the establishment of a BIMSTEC Centre
of Excellence in Sustainable Maritime Transport (BSMarTC) in Mumbai to
support implementation and build technical capacity in Bangladesh and
other member States.
(viii) The Fifth Meeting of BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs was held on 16
July 2026, including the participation of Prime Minister’s Defence Adviser
from Bangladesh. The meeting reviewed cooperation among member
States in areas including regional security, disaster management,
transport and trade connectivity, technology and people-to-people
linkages.
(ix) Bangladesh’s National Security Adviser attended the 7th Meeting of the
National Security Advisers of the Colombo Security Conclave in
November 2025, where member countries discussed regional security
concerns.
4(x) EAM held a meeting with Foreign Advisor Touhid Hossain on the sidelines
of the 8th Indian Ocean Conference in Oman on 17 February 2025.
(B) MYANMAR
(i) Visit of the President of Myanmar, Min Aung Hlaing to India from 30 May
to 03 June 2026;
(ii) Visit of the Minister of State for External Affairs, Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh
to Myanmar from 08-11 April 2026 to attend the inauguration ceremony of
the President of Myanmar;
(iii)The 23rd National Level Meeting chaired by Home Secretary was held in
New Delhi on 07-08 July 2026;
(iv)Visits by senior military officials - including Defence Secretary Shri
Rajesh Kumar Singh (25-26 September 2025), CNS Admiral Dinesh K.
Tripathi (02-05 May 2026);
(v) Working level bilateral meetings have also been held periodically in the
sectors of security and border management, trade, power, shipping,
traditional medicines, India pharmacopoeia, etc.
(vi)Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the sixth BIMSTEC Summit held
in Bangkok on 4 April 2025. On the sidelines of the Summit, a bilateral
meeting was held with the then Senior General Min Aung Hlaing;
(vii) Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the 25th Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO) Summit held in Tianjin, China, from 31 August to 01
5September 2025. A bilateral meeting with the then Senior General Min
Aung Hlaing on the sidelines of the Summit;
(viii) Minister of President’s Office, Tin Aung San participated in the Fifth
Meeting of BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs held on 16 July 2026;
(ix) The Permanent Secretary of Department of Science and Technology,
GoM participated in the AI Impact Summit which was hosted by India and
was held in February 2026;
(x) Myanmar has also joined International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) in January
2026.
(C) BHUTAN
(i) Official level talks for renewal/revision on the 2016 India-Bhutan
Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit started with 1st technical level
meeting on 18 March 2026.
(ii) Commerce Secretary Level Talks in September 2024 to discuss
streamlining trade and related matters.
(iii) Joint Working Group Meeting on custom matters in April 2026.
(iv) Project Steering Committee Meeting for establishment of rail-links in
November 2025.
(v) The India-Bhutan Secretary level meeting on Border Management and
security on 16- 17 October 2025 in Thimphu.
6(vi) Border Districts Coordination Meeting between Royal Govt. of Bhutan
and State Govt of Assam took place on 24 September 2024.
(vii) Border Districts Coordination Meeting between Royal Govt. of Bhutan
and State Govt of West Bengal took place on 30-31 January 2025.
(viii) On India-Bhutan Boundary Tasks, Government Level Meeting (GLM)
took place on 6-7 March 2025; and Joint Technical Level Meeting (JTLM) took
place on 19-20 May 2025.
(ix) Bhutan’s Home Secretary participated in 5th Meeting of the BIMSTEC
National Security Chiefs on July 16, 2026 in New Delhi.
(D) NEPAL
(i) Home Secretary Level Talks (HSLT) held on 22 July 2025, New Delhi.
(ii) Boundary Working Group (BWG) meeting on 28-29 July 2025,New Delhi.
(iii)17th meeting of the Joint Technical Team (JTT) on Nepal - India
Cooperation in Power Sector held on 3- 4 November 2025, Pokhara, Nepal.
(iv)11th Lines of Credit (LOC) Review meeting held on 4 December 2025, New
Delhi.
(v) 5th Joint Project Monitoring Committee (JPMC) on National Police
Academy (NPA) project, held on 1 December 2025, VC mode.
(vi)5th Meeting of India-Nepal Joint Working Group (JWG) on Petroleum and
Gas sector held on 8 December 2025, New Delhi.
7(vii) 9th Joint Agriculture Working Group (JAWG) meeting held on 28-29
December 2025, Kathmandu.
(viii) Survey Officials Committee (SOC) meeting held on 2-4 February 2026,
Kathmandu.
(ix)17th Indo-Nepal Power Exchange Committee (PEC) meeting held on 12-13
March 2026 Pokhara, Nepal.
(x) 6th Joint Project Monitoring Committee (JPMC) on National Police
Academy (NPA) project held on 27 April 2026, VC mode.
(xi)11th Meeting of India-Nepal Joint Committee on Kosi and Gandak Projects
(JCKGP) held on 30 April – 1 May 2026, Kathmandu.
(xii) 2nd Bilateral meeting of India-Nepal Joint Team on Flood Forecasting
Activities on Rivers common to India and Nepal held on 2 May 2026,
Kathmandu.
(xiii) 18th meeting of the Joint Technical Team (JTT) on Nepal - India
Cooperation in Power Sector held on 7-8 May 2026, New Delhi.
(xiv) 10th Project Steering Committee (PSC) Meeting on Rail Linksheld on 11
June 2026, Kathmandu.
(xv) 8th Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on Rail Links held on 12 June
2026, Kathmandu.
(xvi) 13th meeting of Joint Working Group (JWG) on Nepal-India cooperation
in Power Sector held on 14 July 2026 Pokhara, Nepal.
8(xvii) 13th Meeting of Joint Steering Committee (JSC) on Nepal-India
Cooperation in Power Sector held on 15 July 2026 Pokhara, Nepal.
(E) SRI LANKA
(i) Sri Lankan President Anura Kumar Dissanayake visited India in December
2024 during which Joint Statement titled ‘Fostering Partnerships for a
Shared Future’ was adopted;
(ii) Prime Minister paid a visit to Sri Lanka on 5 – 6 April 2025. Among other
agreements, MoU on Defence Cooperation was also signed between the two
sides;
(iii) Prime Minister’s meeting with Sri Lanakn President H.E. Anura Kumara
Disanayaka during latter’s visit to India in February 2026 for the AI Impact
Summit during which deepening connectivity, expanding trade and economic
ties were also discussed;
(iv) Hon’ble Vice President of India visited Sri Lanka from 19-20 April 2026;
(v) External Affairs Minister visited Sri Lanka 23 December 2025 as PM’s
Special Envoy in the wake of Cyclone Ditwah and announced US$ 450 million
Special Economic Package for rehabilitation / reconstruction;
(vi) Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya visited India from 16-
18 October 2025;
9(vii) Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Amar
Preet Singh visited Sri Lanka from 19-21 May 2026;
(viii) Indian Chief of the Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi visited Sri
Lanka from 7-8 January 2026;
(ix) India’s Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi visited Sri Lanka
from 22 - 25 September 2025;
(x) Negotiations for finalization of the Economic & Technology Cooperation
Agreement (ETCA) covering both goods and services. The last (14th) round
of talks held on 24-26 July 2024. The two sides are working for early
resumption of negotations;
(xi) The Second Meeting of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group (JWG)
was held on Renewable Energy on 23 September 2025;
(xii) A virtual Secretary-level meeting on discussing implementation related
modalities of the India-Sri Lanka power grid interconnection, on 30 October
2025; and
(xiii) 8th Indo – Sri Lanka Defence Dialogue led by Defence Secretary was
held in Colombo on 05 June 2025.
(F) Maldives
(i) Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi visited Maldives from 25-26
July 2025. Detailed discussions were held on trade and other issues;
10(ii) Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, H.E. Abdullah Hameed visited India
from 4-8 March 2026 to participate in Raisina Dialogue;
(iii) Minister of Economic Development, Transport, and Trade of Maldives,
H.E. Mohamed Saeed visited India from 07 July to 9 July 2026;
(iv) Minister of State for Homeland, Security and Technology, H.E. Dr
Mohamed Kinaanath visited India from 17 to 21 February 2026 for the AI
Impact Summit;
(v) Speaker of Maldives, Hon. Abdul Raheem Abdulla visited India from 13-18
Jan 2026 for the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the
Commonwealth (CSPOC);
(vi) Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives, Ms. Iruthisham Adam visited
India from 12-14 May 2026. She met EAM and they reviewed the entire gamut
of bilateral relationship;
(vii) Abdulla Phairoosch, MoS for Homeland Security & Technology visited
India for the 3rd India-Maldives Consular Dialogue;
(viii) 6th Defence Cooperation Dialogue, led by Defence Secretary, was held
on 6 October 2025 in Male; and
(ix) India & Maldives held 9th Joint Staff Talks in Maldives, co-chaired by
AVM Sundaramani Krishnan and Brig. General Mohammed Saleem,
Commandant Coast Guard on 29 July 2026.
11ANNEXURE II
LIST OF MAJOR AGREEMENTS SIGNED WITH NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES
DURING THE LAST TWO YEARS
SRI LANKA
S.N Agreements or Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed
1 MoU between National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG),
Government of India and Sri Lanka Institute of Development
Administration (SLIDA) on Training and Capacity Building
Programme for Civil Servants of Sri Lanka
2 Protocol Amending the Agreement between the Government of the
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Government
of the Republic of India for the avoidance of double taxation and
the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.
3 MoU for implementation of HVDC interconnection for import/export
of power
4 MoU on cooperation in the field of sharing successful digital
solutions implemented at population scale for digital
transformation.
5 MoU between the Government of the Republic of India, the
Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, and
12the Government of United Arab Emirates for cooperation in
development of Trincomalee as an Energy Hub
6 MoU on Defence Cooperation
7 MoU on multi-sectoral grant assistance for Eastern Province
8 MoU on cooperation in the field of Health & Medicine.
9 MoU on Pharmacopoeial Cooperation between the Indian
Pharmacopoeia Commission, Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare, Government of the Republic of India and the National
Medicines Regulatory Authority, Government of Democratic
Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
10 MoU for implementation of High Impact Community Development
Projects (HICDPs) in Sri Lanka through grant assistance from the
Government of India (extended for 5 years)
MALDIVES
S.N Agreements or Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed
1 Currency Swap Agreement
2 MoU between Rashtriya Raksha University of the Republic of India
and National College of Policing and Law Enforcement of the
13Republic of Maldives
3 MoU between Central Bureau of Investigation and Anti-Corruption
Commission of Maldives for bilateral cooperation on preventing
and combating corruption
4 Renewal of MoU between National Judicial Academy of India
(NJAI) and the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) of Maldives on
Training and Capacity Building Programs for Maldivian judicial
officers
5 Renewal of MoU between India and Maldives on Cooperation in
Sports and Youth Affairs
6 Agreement for an LoC of INR 4,850 crores to Maldives
7 Amendatory Agreement on reducing annual debt repayment
obligations of Maldives on GoI-funded LoCs
8 Terms of Reference of the India-Maldives Free Trade Agreement
(FTA)
9 MoU on cooperation in the field of Fisheries & Aquaculture
10 MoU between the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM),
Ministry of Earth Sciences and the Maldives Meteorological
Services (MMS), Ministry of Tourism and Environment
1411 MoU on cooperation in the field of sharing successful digital
solutions implemented at population scale for Digital
Transformation between Ministry of Electronics and IT of India and
Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology of Maldives
12 MoU on recognition of Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) by Maldives
13 Network-to-Network Agreement between India’s NPCI
International Payment Limited (NIPL) and Maldives Monetary
Authority (MMA) on UPI in Maldives
MYANMAR
S.N. Agreements or Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed
1 MoU on Cooperation in the field of Trade of Urad and Tur was
extended for five years valid up to FY 2030–2031 was signed in
March 2026
2 MoU on supply of lab equipment and apparatus to Nay Pyi Taw
State Academy (NSA) was signed in February 2026
3 MoU on Cooperation in the field of Digital Identity was signed in
July 2025
4 MoU on Contruction of Sarsobeikman Literary Building was signed
15in March 2024
NEPAL
S.N. Agreements or Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed
Business to Business (B2B) Framework Agreement between Indian
Oil Corporation Limited (IndianOil) and Nepal Oil Corporation
1
(NOC) for execution of projects envisaged in the G2G MoU signed
in 2023
MoU for strengthening cooperation in Water, Sanitation, and
2
Hygiene (WASH) sector including Waste Management
MoU between the Supreme Court of India and the Supreme Court
3
of Nepal to develop, promote and strengthen judicial cooperation
MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Agriculture between India and
4
Nepal
Letter of Exchange (LoE) amending the Protocol to the Treaty of
5
Transit between India and Nepal
MoU between CBIC (India) and Department of Customs (Nepal) for
6 cooperation in exchange of pre-arrival information on export of
goods for trade facilitation and customs control
7
Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (MLAA)
16between India and Nepal
8 MoU on Biodiversity Conservation between India and Nepal
MoU between Digital India Bhashini and Kathmandu University for
9 co-creating National Digital Infrastructure for "Voice First"
Language Translation platform
BHUTAN
S.N. Agreements or Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed
1 Methodology for reactive energy accounting between India and
Bhutan signed between central electricity authority, Ministry of
Power, Government of India and department of energy, Ministry of
Energy and Natural Resources, Royal Government of Bhutan
2 Protocol to the agreement between the Government of the
Republic of India and the Royal Government of Bhutan regarding
the Punatsanchhu-II hydroelectric project signed on 30th April,
2010 (tariff protocol)
3 Protocol to the agreement signed on 30th April, 2010 between the
Government of the Republic of India and the Royal Government of
Bhutan regarding the Mangdechhu hydroelectric project in Bhutan
on the total debt servicing schedule of principal and interest
174 MoU between the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, Royal
Government of Bhutan and the Department of Posts, Ministry of
Communications, Government of India for advancing bilateral
cooperation in the postal sector.
5 MoU between the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy of the
Government of the Republic of India and The Ministry of Energy and
Natural resources of the Royal Government of Bhutan on
Cooperation in the field of Renewable Energy
6 MoU between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the
Government of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Health of
the Royal Government of Bhutan on Cooperation in the field of
Health and Medicine
7 MoU between PEMA Secretariat, Bhutan and National Institute of
Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) India on Building
Institutional Linkage
8 MoU between the Government of India and The Royal Government
of Bhutan for the establishment of railway links between India and
Bhutan.
9 MoU between Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
18Government of Republic of India and Ministry of Agriculture and
Livestock Royal Government of Bhutan on Technical cooperation
in the field of Agriculture, Livestock and Allied Sectors
10 MoU between Bhutan National Legal Institute and National Judicial
Academy, Bhopal on cooperation in Judicial Education and Mutual
Exchanges.
11 MoU between the Supreme Court of Bhutan and the Supreme Court
of India in the field of Judicial Cooperation.
12 MoU between the Government of Republic of India and the Royal
Government of Bhutan on general supply of Petroleum, Oil,
Lubricants (POL) and related products from India to Bhutan
13 Agreement for recognition of official control exercised by Bhutan
Food And Drug Authority (BFDA) by Food Safety and Standards
Authority Of India (FSSAI)
14 MoU on cooperation in the field of Energy Efficiency and Energy
Conservation measures
15 MoU on cooperation in Sports and Youth
16 MoU on cooperation concerning sharing reference standard,
pharmacopoeia, vigilance and testing of medicinal products
1917 Joint Plan of Action (JPOA) on Space Cooperation
18 Renewal of MoU on Peering Arrangement between National
Knowledge Network of India (NKN) and Druk Research And
Education Network of Bhutan
19 MoU between Government of India and Royal Government of
Bhutan regarding loan for Gyalsung Infrastructure project.
20Annexure-III
NEW INITIATIVES LAUNCHED UNDER INDIA'S "NEIGHBOURHOOD FIRST"
POLICY
SRI LANKA
Special Economic Package (SEP) of around US$ 450 milion for post
Cyclone Ditwah rehabilitation and reconstruction in Sri Lanka
MALDIVES
Expanding financial connectivity through Network to Network Agree-
ment between NPCI and Maldives Monetary Authority on UPI in Mal-
dives and establishing Joint Working Group (JWG) on Fishermen,
Health and Counter – terrorism in Maldives
AFGHANISTAN
Several initiatives, including the Air Freight Corridor, Joint Working
Groups, and Joint Chambers of Commerce, have been launched be-
tween the two countries.
MYANMAR
Under the Neighbourhood First policy, India has acted as a trusted
partner for Myanmar through extensive developmental aid. Most re-
cently, under the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation, the ICCR scholarship
slots for Myanmar nationals were increased from 36 to 100 annually.
21Further, as a responsible neighbor and a committed regional partner,
India has been the first responder for Myanmar in times of crisis. In
the aftermath of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar
in Marh 2025, India launched Operation Brahma to provide humanitar-
ian aid and relief.
BANGLADESH
(i) Enhancing trade and connectivity with Bangladesh through the inau-
guration of second cargo trade gate at ICP Petrapole in October 2024.
(ii) Sub-regional connectivity in energy sector has also been initiated with
a tripartite agreement between Nepal, Bangladesh and India to export
40 MW of electricity from Nepal to Bangladesh using the Indian grid.
The first export under this arrangement was undertaken in November
2024.
NEPAL
(i) Long Term Power Trade: The Agreement for Long Term Power Trade
signed in 2024 envisages the export of up to 10,000 MW power from
Nepal to India over the next decade.
(ii)Cross-Border Digital Payments: Peer-to-Peer (P2P) linkage between
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) of India and National Payments In-
terface (NPI) of Nepal was launched on 6 June 2026. This will facilitate
cross-border personal remittances between India and Nepal.
22(iii) Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters
(MLAA): The Agreement was signed in February 2026. This Agreement
will benefit the people of India and Nepal by providing an institutional
legal framework to enhance the effectiveness of investigation, prose-
cution and judicial proceedings relating to cross-border crimes.
(iv) India-Nepal Startup Partnership Network (IN-SPAN) programme:
IN-SPAN aims to catalyse cross-border innovation, foster investment
linkages, and build enduring entrepreneurial partnerships between In-
dia and Nepal. Under this programme, 24 startups from Nepal attended
an eight-week training cum incubation programme at IIT Madras
Pravartak Technologies Foundation during December 2025 and Janu-
ary 2026. The 2nd Cohort of IN-SPAN saw participation of 25 startups
from Nepal is currently undergoing training at IIT Madras Pravartak
Technologies Foundation till 31 July 2026.
(v)LoE amending the Protocol to the Treaty of Transit between India and
Nepal: The first commercial shipment arrived at the Nepal Customs
Yard, Biratnagar, from Kolkata Port via the Indian Customs Yard in
Jogbani, on 20 July 2026, following the signing of the Letter of Ex-
change amending the Protocol to the India–Nepal Treaty of Transit in
November 2025. The cross-border cargo train services will help reduce
logistics costs and further boost India–Nepal trade.
23(vi) An MoU between Digital India Bhashini and Kathmandu University
for co-creating National Digital Infrastructure for “Voice First”
Language Translation platform was signed on 6 June 2026. The MoU is
envisioned as an initiative to strengthen people-to-people connections
and preserve linguistic heritage.
BHUTAN
(i) Establishment of railway links between India and Bhutan – Two Cross-
border rail links namely Banahrhat-Samstse and Kokrajhar-Gelephu are
being undertaken between India and Bhutan. The rail links will
strengthen cross border connectivity and boost trade and people to
people ties.
(ii)Strengthening spiritual Buddhist connections between India and
Bhutan – The Royal Bhutan Temple at Rajgir, Bihar was consecrated in
September 2025. GoI has accorded approval for construction of a third
Bhutanese temple and Monastery at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The ini-
tiative would strengthen the cultural and civilisational ties between
India and Bhutan and also likely lead to increase in tourism and eco-
nomic activity.
(iii)Enhancing digital payment connectivity through launch of India’s
Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) application in Bhutan – The initiative
24would expand economic cooperation with Bhutan and facilitate
tourists/students/traders etc. through ease of cross-border payments.
(iv) Establishment of Integrated Check Post in Darranga, Assam – The
ICP was inaugurated in November 2024. It will facilitate entry/exit of
third country nationals on the India-Bhutan border and boost bilatearl
trade and tourism.
(v)Support to Bhutan’s 13th Five Year Plan (FYP) – GoI has committed a
grant assistance of INR 10,000/- Crore for Bhutan’s 13th Five Year Plan
(2024-2029). The GoI assistance will contribute to Bhutan’s develop-
ment efforts, and deepen India-Bhutan development partnership, which
is an important facet of the bilateral relation with Bhutan.
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