High level Indian delegation in Myanmar, finalizes key shipping arrangement

A high-level Indian delegation is in Myanmar to review and consolidate security and developmental partnership issues ahead of national elections in November. Indian Army chief General M.M. Naravane and Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla on Monday finalized India's coastal shipping agreement with Myanmar in a meeting with its State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.

The visit by the two-member delegation comes against the backdrop of India's five-month border standoff with China in which it has been working steadily to boost ties with all countries in the neighborhood and also help them overcome the economic impact of Covid-19.

The delegation also called on the commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces, Senior Gen Min Aung Hlaing.

As part of India's efforts to help Myanmar fight the pandemic, Shringla and Naravane handed over a consignment of 3,000 vials of the drug Remdesivir to Suu Kyi, officials said.

Foreign ministry officials told RFI that the two sides also discussed security related issues and initiatives to block the India-Myanmar border to China-backed Indian insurgents and drug traffickers in the north-eastern states of Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.

In recent years, India has provided military training and conducted joint military exercises with the Myanmar Army like the India-Myanmar bilateral military exercise to be able to participate in UN Peacekeeping Operations.

The operationalisation of Myanmar's Sittwe port as part of the Kaladan transit transport project to boost connectivity with India's northeastern states and enhanced security cooperation to counter activities of militant groups, especially along the borders in Manipur and Nagaland are among the key issues on the agenda of the Indian delegation.

20 years in the making
The coastal shipping agreement will allow Indian ships to reach Mizoram through Sittwe Port on the Bay of Bengal and through the Kaladan river multi-modal link.

The project had been pending for the past 20 years.

As a part of its 'Act East' policy, India and Myanmar have shared a cordial relationship and India has been extending developmental assistance to Myanmar over these years.

Both countries share a common land border of 1640 kms and a long maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea.

Strategic importance
States of Mizoram, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland adjoin Myanmar and cordial relations with Myanmar are critical for India's security and safety. Myanmar has been helpful in dealing with extremist and insurgent elements in North-East India.

With its vast reserves of oil, gas and other hydrocarbons, Myanmar is expected to play a significant role in ensuring India's energy security.

"Myanmar is a key plank in India's 'Act East' policy and it has assumed even more importance in the wake of the China-Indian confrontation on the Line of Actual Control and the fissures in India's neighborhood policy," international relations expert Happymon Jacob told RFI.

"The visit to Myanmar shows the strategic importance New Delhi accords to relations with Naypyidaw."

With an investment of over US$1.2 billion, Myanmar has the highest Indian investment from a South Asian country. Recently, India approved an investment of over $ 120 million in the Shwe Oil and Gas project.

The Indian visit comes ahead of general elections in Myanmar, scheduled for the 8 November.