Myanmar's leader Maung Aye to meet Pranab

New Delhi, Apr 2: Myanmar's second top leader, Vice Senior General Maung Aye will meet India's External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee here this afternoon. Besides, he is also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Deepak Kapoor later in the day.

According to sources, economic cooperation, connectivity, security and energy are among the issues that are expected to dominate the meetings between General Aye and the Indian leaders. The highlight of the visit is expected to be the signing of Kaladan multi-modal transport project which envisages connectivity between Indian ports on the eastern seaboard and Sittwe Port in Myanmar and then through riverine transport and by road to Mizoram.

The 110 million dollars project will provide easier access to North East region, besides alternate connectivity between India and Myanmar, bypassing Bangladesh. The project will provide connectivity between Indian ports on the eastern seaboard with Sittwe Port in Myanmar and through riverine transport and by road to Mizoram.

India is spending 100 million dollars as well as projects overruns whereas Myanmar will contribute 10 million dollars and land for the project. There have already been six rounds of talks since 2003 on the project, and both the countries have initialled the draft framework agreement on the project, draft protocol on facilitation of transit transport, draft protocol on financial arrangements and draft protocol on joint maintenance and administration.

ANI