Why in News ?

India reached out to Myanmar and agreed to provide debt service relief under the G-20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative and help mitigate the impact of COVID-19.

• India is prepared to continue to extend all possible support to Myanmar in mitigating the health and economic impact of COVID-19.

G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative

• To grant debt-service suspension to the poorest countries to help them manage the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• G20’s Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) approved in April to help developing nations survive the corona virus pandemic
  • It has seen 43 of a potential 73 eligible countries here defer $5 billion in ‘official sector’ debt payments.

India and Myanmar

• The 1,600 km India–Myanmar border separates the Indian states of Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Myanmar also share a maritime border along India’s Andaman Islands.
• India Myanmar Relation
  • Recently entered into a trilateral cooperation with Japan on the Rakhine State under which the three state will create soft infrastructure for 15 schools.
  • The efforts towards ensuring an early, safe and sustainable repatriation of internally displaced persons to Myanmar will continue.
  • Extradition Treaty, Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty on Civil and Commercial Matters and Agreement on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons under consideration.
  • India’s assistance to Myanmar is around $1.4 billion. 
  • Working towards operationalising Sittwe Port.
    • The Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project will connect the eastern Indian seaport of Kolkata with Sittwe seaport in Myanmar by sea.
  • India and Myanmar have agreed to a 4-lane, 3200 km triangular highway connecting India, Myanmar and Thailand.

Source : Indian Express

Topic

Prelims : India and Myanmar Border

GS II : India and its neighbourhood- relations

Current Affairs Compilation : 2 October 2020