India, Myanmar sign three agreements, incl energy coop

Yangon, Mar 9 (UNI) India and Myanmar today signed three important agreements, including a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the petroleum sector to help energy-hungry New Delhi import huge quantities of natural gas to meet its growing hydrocarbon needs and fuel its economy.

The other two accords -- Framework Agreement on Mutual Cooperation in the field of Remote Sensing and an MoU on teaching in Buddhist studies -- were signed by the representatives of two governments in the presence of visiting Indian President A P J Abdul Kalam and Myanmar's State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) chairman Senior General Than Shwe.

The MoU on energy cooperation is almost identical to one Myanmar signed with China last year. ''What we have signed with India today is just like the one concluded with China,'' senior Myanmar officials confirmed.

Faced with growing demand for energy, India has been working for quite some time to import gas from Arakan gas fields, which are estimated to be the world's tenth biggest gas reserves having more than 90 trillion cubic feet in 19 onshore fields.

The signing of the agreements was preceded by one on one and delegation level talks during which Dr Kalam and Senior General Than Shwe reviewed bilateral as well as regional issues.

It is understood that the issue of insurgency in India's North-East also figured during the 90-minute talks and Myanmar assured New Delhi of full cooperation to plug infiltration routes.

Their leaders categorically conveyed that Myanmar's soil would not be used for anti-Indian activities.

In the petroleum sector, India and Myanmar decided to explore several alternatives for importing gas from Shwe Fields. Among the alternatives was a proposal to lay down one billion dollar gas pipeline from Myanmar to India through Bangladesh but Dhaka has thrown a spanner in the project because of its insistence on inclusion of bilateral issues with India.

The other options being explored are conversion of natural gas into LNG and its shipment to the nearest Indian port and a pipeline through Mizoram.

The MoU on natural gas was signed by Mr Prabh Das, Joint Secretary, Petroleum Minitry, and U Soe Myint, Director General of Myanmar's Energy Planning.

The framework agreement on remote sensing was signed by Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran and Myanmar's Deputy Foreign Minister U Kyaw.

Under this agreement, a ground station for remote sensing satellite will be set up in Myanmar, which will facilitate collecting data about weather and crop pattern, besides intelligence purposes.

Similarly, the agreement on Buddhist studies would help promote teachings of Lord Buddha, who is revered not only in India but has also an overwhelming worshippers in this Land of Pagodas.

UNI SMA SKS VD HS1504