Bhutan–Spain relations

Bhutan–Spain relations

Bhutan	Spain

Bhutan–Spain relations are the bilateral and diplomatic relations between Bhutan and Spain. The relations between two countries started on 19 October 2010, during a four-day diplomatic visit to Spain by the Bhutanese Prime Minister, Jigme Yoser Thinley, who was given an audience by King Juan Carlos I and held a meeting with the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miguel Ángel Moratinos A day before being released from office by Trinidad Jiménez, among other acts.

At the meeting, both parties agreed to begin the process of establishing diplomatic relations between the two kingdoms. Before 19 October 2010, Bhutan was one of two countries in the world, along with Kiribati, that did not have diplomatic relations with Spain.

Four months later, on the 11th of February 2011, the Permanent Representative Ambassador of Spain to the United Nations in New York City proceeded to exchange verbal notes with the Bhutanese ambassador, for officially establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries. Both heads of mission sent a joint letter to Secretary-General of the United Nations informing about the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Bhutan and requesting a copy to be circulated among all UN member states.

The permanent missions of both countries issued a joint communiqué stating that Spain and Bhutan decided to establish diplomatic and consular relations, applying the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 24 April, 1961 and Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 24 April, 1963 respectively, as well as exchanging diplomatic representatives at the Ambassador level.

The Spanish Embassy in New Delhi and the Bhutanese Embassy in Brussels – under a multiple accreditation regime – are respectively responsible for carrying out diplomatic and consular relations between the two countries. Spain was the twenty-sixth country with which Bhutan established diplomatic relations. The establishment of diplomatic relations with Bhutan responds to the principle of universality that governs Spanish foreign policy.

Introduction

Under a treaty signed between Bhutan and India on 8 August 1949, Bhutan's foreign policy was guided by India, until the treaty was superseded in 2007. Bhutan joined the United Nations in 1971. Since then and until October 2010 the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Bhutan had not established diplomatic relations, although they had maintained informal contacts, generally through the Spanish diplomatic missions in New Delhi, of the United Nations, or within the framework of the European Union.

Economic relations

Commerce Bhutan – Spain (million euros)
Balance of trade	2004	2005	2006	2007
Imports	0,01	0,00	0,00	0,00
Exports	0,03	0,00	0,00	0,01
Balance	0,02	0,00	0,00	0,01
Coverage rate	300,00	N.S.	N.S.	N.S.
% Import variation	N.S.	–100,00	N.S.	N.S.
% Export Variation	200,00	–100,00	N.S.	N.S.
January June. Variation rate over previous year.
Source: D.G. Customs