Manmohan Singh visits Myanmar next week with security and energy coopetation in focus, India said the new political environment in that country moving fast on the path to democracy will help to take bilateral ties to a "new level".
As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits Myanmar next week with security and energy coopetation in focus, India on Friday said the new political environment in that country moving fast on the path to democracy will help to take bilateral ties to a "new level".
Cooperation in security, energy, connectivity and agriculture will top Singh's agenda of talks with Myanmar's quasi-civilian government headed by President U Thein Sein in Nay Pyi Taw on Monday and the two countries are expected to sign a number of agreements in these areas during the visit, the first by an Indian premier in quarter of a century.
Briefing mediapersons on Singh's 3-day state visit beginning Sunday to Myanmar where he will also meet democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said on the issue of security cooperation, India will seek to emphasize that "it is in our interest to maintain peace at the 1460km border between the two countries and that insurgents who take shelter there are not encouraged to do that".
One of the key reasons for India remaining engaged with Myanmar is its security concern as militants of several North Eastern Indian groups, including ULFA, have taken shelter in that country.
Mathai said "our aim during the visit of the Prime Minister will be to strengthen the existing mechanisms for security cooperation at the level of Home Secretaries and the Army".
He said the two sides discussed the coordinated patrolling of the border and the issue is once again expected to come up at talks during the Prime Minister's visit.
The high-points among the slew of agreements will be the ones relating to an offshore gas block awarded to private Indian company Jubilant Energy in global competition and a passenger bus service between Imphal and Mandalay in western Myanmar. (more) PTI PAL
Mathai admitted delay in execution of the multimodal transport project India is constructing on Irrawaddy river in south western Myanmar and said while work on the water transport component of the project is progressing, the road part was held up largely due to lag in efforts to align the linkages between Myanmar and south Mizoram.
A Detailed Project Report on the road construction part would be ready in six months and work will start soon after that, he said.
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