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India Myanmar Meet during Two-day visit by Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Army chief Gen M M Naravane to Myanmar met Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and the Commander in Chief of Defence Services, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

About the Visit

• Key points are
  • A package of 3,000 vials of the antiviral Remdesivir
    • India’s commitment to assist Myanmar in its fight against the (Covid-19) pandemic.
  • Support for ensuring safe, sustainable and speedy return of Rohingya refugees
    • Proposed finalising projects under phase-III of the programme, including setting up of a skills training centre.
  • Operationalisation of the crucial Sittwe port in Myanmar’s Rakhine state by March 2021
  • A liaison office in Nay Pyi Taw
    • The idea to establish a liaison office in Myanmar’s capital was conceived during the State Visit of President Ram Nath Kovind in December, 2018.
  • A bust of Bal Gangadhar Tilak in Mandalay Jail,
  • A mutual commitment to not allow activities against each other.
    • Maintenance of security and stability in their border areas and reiterated their mutual commitment not to allow their respective territories to be used for activities inimical to each other.
    • Myanmar for handed over of 22 cadres of Indian insurgent groups in May this year.
• Discussed progress in the ongoing Indian-assisted infrastructure projects such as the Trilateral Highway and the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project.
• The project agreement on upgrading of agricultural mechanisation under RSDP was signed.

India and Myanmar

• India-Myanmar border is 1,643 km
  • Indian states of Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh in Northeast India from Kachin State, Sagaing Region and Chin State in Myanmar/Burma.
  • India and Myanmar also share a maritime border along India’s Andaman Islands.
• India established diplomatic relations after Myanmar’s independence from Great Britain in 1948.
  • Both are a part of colonial rule.
  • 1951 both signed the Treaty of Friendship.
• In 1960’s the nationalisation policy in Myanmar leads to the frictions between states.
  • During this period India-Mtanmar signed Land Boundary Agreement (1967) and Maritime Boundary Agreement in (1968)
• In late 1980’s the relation worst as a result of the suppression of pro democracy in Myanmar.
• With the Lokk East policy in 1991 the ties becomes normalise and seen a strong base with several visit between the officials.
• Cooperation between the states
  • Infrastructure
    • Upgradation and resurfacing of the 160 km. long Tamu-Kalewa-Kalemyo road, Construction and upgradation of the Rhi-Tiddim Road in Myanmar; the Kaladan Multimodal Transport Project; etc.
    • India and Myanmar have agreed to a 4-lane, 3200 km triangular highway connecting India, Myanmar and Thailand called India-Myanmar-Thailand Friendship Highway.
  • Economic Relations
    • India’s imports from Myanmar are dominated by agricultural items (beans, pulses and forest based products form 90% of our imports).
    • India’s main exports to Myanmar are primary and semi-finished steel and pharmaceuticals.
    • Myanmar is also a beneficiary country under India’s Duty Free Tariff Preference Scheme for LDCs.
  • Cultural Relations and Indian Diaspora
    • Performances by Indian cultural troupes in Myanmar have been organised on a regular basis since 1997.
    • Indian community in Myanmar is traced back to the mid-19th century with the advent of the British rule in Lower Burma in 1852.
    • The NRI families in Myanmar mainly live in Yangon and are engaged in export import business or are employees of MNCs based in India, Singapore and Thailand.
  • Various Co operations in Organisation
    • SAARC : Myanmar was given the status of observer in SAARC in August 2008.
    • BIMSTEC : Myanmar became a member of BIMSTEC in December 1997. Myanmar is a signatory to the BIMSTEC Free Trade Agreement. Myanmar is the lead country for the energy sector. Myanmar trades mostly with Thailand and India in the BIMSTEC region.
    • ASEAN : Myanmar became a member of ASEAN in July 1997. As the only ASEAN
      country which shares a land border with India, Myanmar is a bridge between India and
      ASEAN.
    • Mekong Ganga Cooperation : Myanmar is a member of the Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) since its inception in November 2000. MGC is an initiative by six countries – India and five ASEAN countries namely, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam – for cooperation in the fields of tourism, education, culture, transport and communication.

Also Read | India Myanmar Neighbourhood Relations

Source : Indian Express

Topic

GS II : India and its neighbourhood- relations

Current Affairs Compilation : 6 October 2020