BEIJING, 15 October 2021, (TON): In a step towards resolving their boundary disputes, Bhutan and China signed an agreement on a three-Step roadmap to help speed up talks, at a meeting of Foreign Ministers of both countries held via videoconference, a development that New Delhi said it has “noted”.

The roadmap "for Expediting the Bhutan-China Boundary Negotiations", is expected to kickstart progress on the boundary talks process that has been delayed for five years, first due to the Doklam standoff in 2017, and then by the Covid Pandemic.

The timing of the agreement is particularly significant for New Delhi, given India-China border talks on their 17-month old standoff at the Line of Actual Control appear to have hit an impasse this week.

“The Bhutan-China Memorandum of Understanding on the Three-Step Roadmap will provide a fresh impetus to the Boundary Talks.

A press release issued by Bhutan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said “it is expected that the implementation of this Roadmap in a spirit of goodwill, understanding and accommodation will bring the boundary negotiations to a successful conclusion that is acceptable to both sides.”

The Bhutanese Embassy in Delhi declined to comment on the details of the three steps outlined in the MoU, and sources said that information on the process of negotiations are “sensitive” and could not be shared at this stage.