Home Secretary V K Duggal to visit Myanmar from Feb 13

New Delhi, Feb 6 (UNI) A high-level Indian delegation would visit Myanmar from February 13 to discuss bilateral issues of security, border management and drug trafficking with the neighbouring state.

The team would be headed by Home Secretary V K Duggal. A high level meeting was held at the Home Ministry today to discuss the agenda for the visit. The meeting was attended by senior officials of Home Ministry and External Affairs Ministry.

The issue of India aiding the development of Myanmar's Sittwe port at a cost of 103 million dollars to give the land-locked northeastern states access to the sea for trade and commerce may also figure in the bilateral talks.

The government has already agreed in principle to develop the port and the Cabinet approval in this regard is likely soon. The will be done after developing Kaladan river, which connects the northeastern state of Mizoram with the Bay of Bengal, as a waterway.

India wants to give the northeast access to the sea and international trade.

India-Myanmar bilateral cooperation has increased in the recent time with senior functionaries of both the countries visiting each other. The strategic importance of Myanmar for India has increased, as it was the only neighbour who is member of ASEAN, so under its Look East policy India is seeking to upgrade ties. The possibility of Myanmar-India gas pipeline may also be discussed durign the visit.

During the four-day visit, the issue of ULFA leaders taking shelter in Myanmar may also come for discussion. The Myanmar government has assured full cooperation to India in dealing with insurgency.

Earlier, a series of high-level bilateral political and military exchanges between the two sides beginning with the October 2004 visit to India by Senior General Than Shwe, head of Myanmar's military-run Government, and the March 2006 visit to Yangon of President A P J Abdul Kalam. Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Home Minister Shivraj Patil had also gone there.

These were followed by the visit of General Thura Shwe Mann, third in the official hierarchy of the State Peace and Development Council to India and also that of the Myanmar Home Minister Maung Oo.

UNI