Singh's visit aimed at closer ties with Myanmar - Home - livemint.com
New Delhi: India will aim to deepen its political, cultural and economic linkages with key neighbour Myanmar during a rare visit by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the once reclusive state—the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 25 years. The last visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Myanmar was by Rajiv Gandhi in December 1987. It follows a visit to India by Myanmar's first nominally civilian President Thein Sein in October—his first visit abroad after taking over the top job in March last year.
On Singh's agenda are talks to consolidate ties in energy, security, connectivity, engagement between the business communities and think tanks of the two countries, foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai told reporters in Delhi on Friday. Besides Singh's official delegation that includes foreign minister S.M. Krishna, are a group of Indian business leaders representing the energy, information technology (IT), telecom, steel and agriculture sectors, including Sunil Mittal of Bharti Airtel Ltd and Atul Punj of Punj Lloyd Ltd.
Singh will arrive in Nay Pyi Taw on Sunday and hold talks with President Thein Sein and others, Mathai said. Singh will also travel to Yangon where he is expected to meet democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of her party on Tuesday. Singh's other engagements include a public address on the theme India and Myanmar: A Partnership for Progress and Regional Development.
"The visit of the Prime Minister will enable us to build on the new foundations of our multifaceted relationship," Mathai said. "We seek to leverage this to secure a stronger and mutually beneficial relationship with a neighbouring country that is integral to India's Look East Policy," he said, referring to the country regarding Myanmar as the bridge between India and the high-growth economies of South-East Asia.
Sandwiched between Asian giants India and China, Myanmar is of immense strategic significance to India given its vast energy resources and long border with the insurgency hit north-eastern states—the reason why the government kept up its engagement with the military-ruled country despite criticism from the Western democracies.
A strong supporter of Suu Kyi in the late 1980s, India switched tracks in the 1990s when it realized that insurgent rebels from India's North-East were taking refuge in Myanmar. The Indian government was also criticized for investing in Myanmar's energy and infrastructure sectors at a time when Western governments were keen on increasing pressure on the country through sanctions—something India has opposed as counterproductive.
"We have always approached the issue of Myanmar keeping in mind that it is a neighbour. With neighbours, you don't have a choice; you remain engaged irrespective of the situation," Mathai said. "This is a matter on which we were very, very consistent. We may have had differences, but we have wanted always to continue a dialogue as a friendly, constructive partner."
With Myanmar holding its first elections in two decades in November 2010, then introducing further democratic reforms, allowing contacts between Suu Kyi and international leaders such as US secretary of state Hillary Clinton and British foreign secretary William Hague, besides creating conditions for Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy, to take part in historic by-elections last month, India feels vindicated.
According to Neelam Deo, a former foreign ministry official who has dealt with the country, Singh's visit "will consolidate the heightened engagement that India has carefully constructed with Myanmar since the late 1990s".
On Singh's meeting with Suu Kyi, Deo, now director of Mumbai-based think tank Gateway House, said, "India must retain balance in reaching out to both the government and the opposition to encourage and support the promising future opening up in and for Myanmar," rather than only stressing ties with Suu Kyi.
On the political front, in a bid to help Myanmar's fledgling democracy, India will be training Myanmarese parliamentarians. The training will start in July, Mathai said. On connectivity, both sides will be looking at a bus link between Imphal, the capital of Manipur, and Mandalay, the second largest city in Myanmar. Mathai said a preliminary pact had been finalized on this and will be part of a joint statement between the two countries.
To share its expertise in the IT field, India is setting up a training centre in Myanmar, Mathai said, adding that an agricultural research centre and a rice bio-park are also being established.
Both sides are also exploring the setting up of more border trade centres in addition to the two already in existence—Ri in Meghalaya and Moreh in Manipur. India is also looking at a trans-Asian highway connecting India's North-East to Thailand through Myanmar. On energy cooperation, India will be flagging its interests "in our companies getting more opportunities in Myanmar, both onshore (oil) blocks as well as offshore (gas) blocks", Mathai said. "There is so much potential in the Myanmar economy, the scope for cooperation is virtually open in all areas."
New Delhi: India will aim to deepen its political, cultural and economic linkages with key neighbour Myanmar during a rare visit by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the once reclusive state—the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 25 years. The last visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Myanmar was by Rajiv Gandhi in December 1987. It follows a visit to India by Myanmar's first nominally civilian President Thein Sein in October—his first visit abroad after taking over the top job in March last year.
On Singh's agenda are talks to consolidate ties in energy, security, connectivity, engagement between the business communities and think tanks of the two countries, foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai told reporters in Delhi on Friday. Besides Singh's official delegation that includes foreign minister S.M. Krishna, are a group of Indian business leaders representing the energy, information technology (IT), telecom, steel and agriculture sectors, including Sunil Mittal of Bharti Airtel Ltd and Atul Punj of Punj Lloyd Ltd.
Singh will arrive in Nay Pyi Taw on Sunday and hold talks with President Thein Sein and others, Mathai said. Singh will also travel to Yangon where he is expected to meet democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of her party on Tuesday. Singh's other engagements include a public address on the theme India and Myanmar: A Partnership for Progress and Regional Development.
"The visit of the Prime Minister will enable us to build on the new foundations of our multifaceted relationship," Mathai said. "We seek to leverage this to secure a stronger and mutually beneficial relationship with a neighbouring country that is integral to India's Look East Policy," he said, referring to the country regarding Myanmar as the bridge between India and the high-growth economies of South-East Asia.
Sandwiched between Asian giants India and China, Myanmar is of immense strategic significance to India given its vast energy resources and long border with the insurgency hit north-eastern states—the reason why the government kept up its engagement with the military-ruled country despite criticism from the Western democracies.
A strong supporter of Suu Kyi in the late 1980s, India switched tracks in the 1990s when it realized that insurgent rebels from India's North-East were taking refuge in Myanmar. The Indian government was also criticized for investing in Myanmar's energy and infrastructure sectors at a time when Western governments were keen on increasing pressure on the country through sanctions—something India has opposed as counterproductive.
"We have always approached the issue of Myanmar keeping in mind that it is a neighbour. With neighbours, you don't have a choice; you remain engaged irrespective of the situation," Mathai said. "This is a matter on which we were very, very consistent. We may have had differences, but we have wanted always to continue a dialogue as a friendly, constructive partner."
With Myanmar holding its first elections in two decades in November 2010, then introducing further democratic reforms, allowing contacts between Suu Kyi and international leaders such as US secretary of state Hillary Clinton and British foreign secretary William Hague, besides creating conditions for Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy, to take part in historic by-elections last month, India feels vindicated.
According to Neelam Deo, a former foreign ministry official who has dealt with the country, Singh's visit "will consolidate the heightened engagement that India has carefully constructed with Myanmar since the late 1990s".
On Singh's meeting with Suu Kyi, Deo, now director of Mumbai-based think tank Gateway House, said, "India must retain balance in reaching out to both the government and the opposition to encourage and support the promising future opening up in and for Myanmar," rather than only stressing ties with Suu Kyi.
On the political front, in a bid to help Myanmar's fledgling democracy, India will be training Myanmarese parliamentarians. The training will start in July, Mathai said. On connectivity, both sides will be looking at a bus link between Imphal, the capital of Manipur, and Mandalay, the second largest city in Myanmar. Mathai said a preliminary pact had been finalized on this and will be part of a joint statement between the two countries.
To share its expertise in the IT field, India is setting up a training centre in Myanmar, Mathai said, adding that an agricultural research centre and a rice bio-park are also being established.
Both sides are also exploring the setting up of more border trade centres in addition to the two already in existence—Ri in Meghalaya and Moreh in Manipur. India is also looking at a trans-Asian highway connecting India's North-East to Thailand through Myanmar. On energy cooperation, India will be flagging its interests "in our companies getting more opportunities in Myanmar, both onshore (oil) blocks as well as offshore (gas) blocks", Mathai said. "There is so much potential in the Myanmar economy, the scope for cooperation is virtually open in all areas."
