'Must not allow politics to interfere in internal affairs of neighbours'

New Delhi: India and China "must not allow their politics to interfere in the internal affairs'' of their neighbouring countries, Bhutan's former prime minister Tshering Tobgay said on Sunday. Responding to a question by former foreign secretary Shyam Saran at an event here, he said as long as there is interference in their internal affairs, the countries sandwiched between India and China will find it exceedingly difficult to grow.

I think both countries India and China must not allow their politics to interfere in the internal affairs of the neighborhood.

"As long as there's interference in the internal affairs in the neighboring countries, I do believe that these countries will find it exceedingly difficult to grow, he said at a lecture organised by think tank Centre for Policy Research. China is going to grow, they've already been growing, they're going to keep going. India is growing and because it has the largest population and the youngest population, its growth trajectory is going to be unstoppable.

"The question is for the neighborhood, those countries that are sandwiched are we going to grow or not, he added.

The former Bhutan prime minister said India has demonstrated its commitment to its neighbours but they have failed to capitalise on the opportunity for meaningful regional cooperation.

He also said that India should be given a permanent seat in the United Nations as the world has much to gain from it.

The Bhutanese leader recalled how in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited the leader of all SAARC countries for his inauguration.

Modi's gesture of goodwill was

aimed at bringing together and strengthening all the countries in the neighborhood, he said.