New Delhi, Jun 1: Myanmar President U Min Aung Hlaing assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday that Myanmarese territory would not be allowed to use against India’s security interests, as the two leaders held wide-ranging talks to boost bilateral ties in trade, defence, and energy.
Aung Hlaing is on a five-day trip to India. The visit comes less than two months after he became the president following Myanmar’s parliamentary elections.
The elections were held in December and January after years of protests against the ruling military-junta that seized power in a coup on February 1, 2021 overthrowing the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, responding to a question on Suu Kyi, said the prime minister did raise the issue with the visiting president, and that the discussion was largely in the context of the peace process that has been underway in Myanmar. Explaining India’s consistent position on the issue, the foreign secretary added that India has been supporting enduring peace, inclusion, and the need to have all stakeholders at the table.
“It was a bit of a free-wheeling discussion. I should underline that our engagement with Myanmar is not intended to be a commentary on the internal political arrangement in that country,” he said.
Misri said the talks between the two sides focused on the entire gamut of bilateral issues that included trade and economic ties, defence and security related issues, border management, development assistance as well as the regional situation.
Both sides expressed interest in forging closer cooperation, particularly in areas of trade and investment, health, education, energy, and critical technologies like artificial intelligence.
“The prime minister reaffirmed India’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Myanmar and both sides underscored the importance of preventing the misuse of sovereign territory for activities inimical to their security interests,” the foreign secretary said.
“The President of Myanmar, in particular, reiterated the assurance that Myanmar’s territory would not be permitted to be used against India’s security interests,” he added.
Myanmar is one of India’s strategic neighbours and it shares a 1,640-kilometer-long border with a number of northeastern states including militancy-hit Nagaland and Manipur.
“Overall, this visit by the Myanmar President has once again reaffirmed the shared commitment of both sides to deepen their long-standing partnership and to work together for mutual benefit, growth and prosperity in the region,” Misri said.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Sunday met Aung Hlaing and discussed key issues relating to bilateral ties.
The Myanmarese leader is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising several cabinet ministers, senior officials and business leaders.
Aung Hlaing was earlier scheduled to visit New Delhi to participate in the International Big Cat Alliance Summit on June 1, which has been deferred.
The Myanmarese president will also travel to Mumbai on June 2 for business and industry interactions and site visits. (PTI)
