The Hindu : New Delhi News : India to continue assistance to Myanmar

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Thursday, Dec 13, 2007
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India to continue assistance to Myanmar

Special Correspondent

Talks at a vital stage on Kaladan project

Kaladan route will ease pressure on road and rail links
Discussions cover all areas of mutual interest

NEW DELHI: India has committed itself to extending assistance to Myanmar on various developmental projects of mutual benefit including the Kaladan multi-modal transport project, which could serve as an alternative gateway to the north-eastern states.

Talks are at a vital stage on the Kaladan project, under which India will get access from a port up to the navigable part of a river from where a road will be built into Mizoram.

Road and rail links

With Bangladesh still mulling over an Indian request for transit access through its territory to the north-eastern states, the Kaladan route will in future ease the pressure on the sole road and rail links to the region through the Chicken’s Neck area of West Bengal.

This emerged at the talks between visiting Deputy Minister in the Myanmarese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kyaw Thu and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon during Foreign Office consultations on Tuesday evening.

Mr. Kyaw Thu also called on External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

The affirmation in maintaining trade and investment ties with Myanmar comes at a time when the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill barring the import of Myanmar’s gemstones and natural gas.

The legislation also freezes the assets of Myanmar’s political and military leaders in U.S. financial institutions and prevent them from using U.S. funds through third countries.

The Foreign Office discussions covered all areas of mutual interest including bilateral, regional and international issues.

MoU signed

The two sides have also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the establishment of the India-Myanmar Centre for Enhancement of Information Technology Skills (IMCEITS) at Yangon under Indian assistance.

The Foreign Office consultations are an annual feature and one of the seven institutional mechanisms between the two countries for bilateral dialogue.

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