The Case for the US and Bhutan to Establish Formal Diplomatic Relations – The Diplomat
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Amid the high-profile examples of U.S. engagement with South Asia – including last February’s visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United States – there lies a great opportunity for Washington to deepen its ties with smaller countries in the region.
Bhutan is one such example: a country with which the United States should consider establishing diplomatic relations.
As a landlocked kingdom nestled in the Himalayas, Bhutan has largely built its international image through its Gross National Happiness index, measuring itself on happiness instead of economic growth. The emphasis that it places on cultural preservation and spiritual harmony – as exemplified by recent projects such as Gelephu Mindfulness City – have piqued the interest of different countries and people worldwide.
Although the United States and Bhutan do not currently maintain official ties, both countries maintain warm and informal relations that are primarily driven through the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi and Bhutan’s Mission to the United Nations in New York.
Today, conditions are ripening for both countries to establish official ties, a goal supported by three trends: tourism, high-level communication, and the strengthening India-U.S. relationship.
Tourism
First, data from Bhutan’s tourism industry indicates that more Americans are visiting the Himalayan kingdom, learning about it, and increasingly considering it as a holiday destination. From 2005 to 2019, the number of American tourists to Bhutan increased four-fold: from 3,000 in 2005 to over 9,000 in 2015 to nearly 12,000 in 2019. Last year, Americans represented the second-largest tourist group to Bhutan, after Indians.
On paper, these numbers may not seem significant. However, they are consequential as they fall in line with the “high value, low impact” tourism strategy that Bhutan has adopted to prioritize sustainable development, minimize the environmental footprint of tourism, and cultural impact on its local communities.
Just as the number of American visitors to Bhutan has gone up, so should the number of Bhutanese visitors to the United States. Providing American consular services in-country is paramount to expanding opportunities for Bhutanese citizens to travel to the U.S. The current set-up forces Bhutanese citizens to travel to India to apply for visitor or student visas to the United States.
The end goal here would be to establish embassies in both countries; however, a more realistic first step from a U.S. standpoint could be to bring the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) model to Thimphu. Setting up a similar American Institute in Bhutan will likely require an act of Congress, as AIT receives its funding from a specific Congressional appropriation and is mandated by separate statutes. Doing so would allow for a more consistent U.S. presence in Bhutan, especially through the provision of consular services.
High-Level Communication
Second, bilateral communication between the two countries and their senior government officials has steadily gained momentum over the last decade. Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry held historic talks with Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay in 2015 on the sidelines of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in India, becoming the first U.S. secretary of state to meet with a Bhutanese prime minister.
In August 2019, during the first Trump administration, then-Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan became the highest-ranking U.S. government official in two decades to visit Bhutan. Sullivan met with King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, former Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, and former Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji.
Past U.S. ambassadors to India have also made routine visits to Bhutan during their tenure. Recently departed Ambassador Eric Garcetti visited Bhutan twice, emphasizing shared values through sports and food diplomacy.
His predecessor, Kenneth Juster, visited Bhutan three times, including an unprecedented visit to the sacred Bumthang Valley to tour the Wangduechhoeling Palace – known as the birthplace of Bhutan’s monarchy.
More recently, Prime Minister Tobgay was in the United States for the 79th U.N. General Assembly in September 2024, and held constructive talks with then-U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma, also a former ambassador to India.
The continued touchpoints between senior U.S. and Bhutanese officials also pave the way for a groundbreaking and logical next step in Bhutan-U.S. ties: a visit to Bhutan by a U.S. secretary of state. To date, no sitting secretary of state has visited Bhutan. Such a trip would undoubtedly underscore U.S. commitment to the Himalayan kingdom and represent a major act of goodwill.
India-U.S. Relations
Finally, the India-U.S. relationship will be critical to bolstering the United States’ ties with Bhutan. Since 2000, ties between India and the U.S. have been on a steady upward trajectory, with significant progress made on the economic, defense, trade, and people-to-people fronts.
Bhutan and India famously share a very close bond, one that has been meticulously built over several decades by leaders on both sides. It is a win-win relationship whose dividends have manifested in several areas, such as India’s developmental assistance toward Bhutan and Bhutan’s deference toward India’s security concerns with China. India has also served as Bhutan’s security guarantor under the “special relationship” formed by a 1949 treaty that was updated in 2007 to emphasize noninterference in each other’s internal affairs.
Given the strength and depth of Bhutan-India relations, how the United States and India continue to deepen their cooperation on multiple fronts could play an important role in facilitating the growth of Bhutan-U.S. ties. As Bhutan’s largest trading partner, India will assuredly keep a close eye on any moves by Bhutan and countries that seek to formalize ties with it.
It is additionally worth noting the Bhutanese government’s historic wariness of establishing diplomatic relations with the United States or any of the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (P5). There are concerns from the Bhutanese side that formally recognizing ties with the U.S. and not the other P5 members may carry territorial ramifications, as much of Bhutan’s northern borders with China remain poorly demarcated.
Assuaging these worries will require adeptness from the U.S. and India – both of whom have arguably entered an era of multifaceted convergence in their relationship – which could manifest through additional security guarantees, economic cooperation, and impactful cultural initiatives that showcase Bhutanese values.
As Bhutan continues to captivate more Americans, the United States has a strong opportunity to take its relations with the Himalayan kingdom to the next level and strengthen its position in a region of strategic importance.
Above all, Bhutan is a country whose people possess a deep pride for their culture and a steadfast resolve to preserve it. Any moves by the U.S. on Bhutan should thus be made with a fundamental understanding that Bhutan will seek to uphold its Buddhist traditions at any cost, promote sustainable development, and prioritize the happiness and well-being of its citizens.
