An 80-member delegation led by Myanmar’s military chief Senior General Than Shwe paid a 4-day visit to India from July 25-29, 2010  Myanmar’s military chief, Senior General Than Shwe on his goodwill visit to India has garnered millions of dollars in grants for developing infrastructure back home. The visit comes as New Delhi tries to expand engagements with its neighbouring territories and jockeys for influence in Yangon. The other stiff competitor in this regard being China.
India would provide around US$60 million for a road connectivity project, said a joint statement that was issued after discussions with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
Myanmar delegation
An 80-member delegation led by General Shwe paid a 4-day visit to India from July 25-29. This was the General’s second visit to the country in 6 years, after his visit in October 2004.
During his recent stay in New Delhi, General Shwe encouraged Indian companies to actively foray into the Myanmar’s industrial sectors. Moreover, both the governments signed several important bilateral agreements and treaties pertaining to issues such as counter-terror cooperation, enhanced energy ties (especially solar and wind energy) and strategic tie-ups in a string of infrastructure developmental projects.
Total two-way trade between India and Myanmar surged to US$1,150.6 million in 2008-09 from US$923 million in 2006-07.
Welcoming General Shwe, President Pratibha Patil recently said that it is the mutual experience of colonialism and struggle for independence, along with recent treads in bilateral trade and common heritage of Buddhism, which have drawn the two nations together.
More on infra grants
India would be primarily helping Myanmar in development of road, railways and telecom projects.
The national capital would provide US$60 million financial assistance to construct and revamp Rhi-Tiddim road connectivity project, which links India’s north eastern state of Mizoram and Myanmar.
Moreover, EXIM Bank has agreed to extend a US$60-million line of credit to finance Myanmar’s railway projects.
In the field of telecommunications, India would provide US$6 million line of credit to improve the microwave link between Moreh and Mandalay. This was taken up following the successful functioning of the official fibre link between the two nations via Moreh.
Furthermore, India has agreed to offer assistance to build up a new optical fibre link between Monywa and Rhi-Zawkhathar.
On the cultural front, Myanmar also inked an MoU[i] with India for conservation and restoration of the Ananda temple, an ancient Buddhist shrine in Bagan.
Jeeta Bandopadhyay
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