State Counsellor reaffirms importance attached to partnership with India

04 November 2019
State Counsellor reaffirms importance attached to partnership with India
In this handout photograph taken and released by the Indian Press Information Bureau on November 3, 2019, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) interacts with Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi (L), on the sidelines of the 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Bangkok. Photo: PIB/AFP

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar on the margins of the ASEAN-India Summit on November 03, 2019. Recalling his last visit to Myanmar in September 2017, and the visit of the State Counsellor to India during the ASEAN-India commemorative Summit in January 2018, the leaders expressed satisfaction at the progress of the vital partnership between the two countries, according to a statement.

Prime Minister emphasized the priority India attaches to Myanmar as a partner at the crossroads of India's Look East Policy and the Neighbourhood First policies. Towards this end, he emphasized India's continuing commitment to improve physical connectivity to and through Myanmar to Southeast Asia, including through building road, port and other infrastructure. India would also continue to strongly support the expansion of capacity for Myanmar's police, military and civil servants, as well as its students and citizens.

The leaders agreed that people to people connectivity would help expand the base of the partnership, and therefore welcomed the expansion of air connectivity between the two countries, and the growing interest of India's businesses in Myanmar, including the plans of the Government of India to host a business event for the CLMV countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam) in Yangon at the end of November 2019.

State Counsellor Daw Suu Kyi reaffirmed the importance her Government attached to the partnership with India, and her appreciation of India's consistent and sustained support for the widening of democracy and deepening of development in Myanmar.

The two Leaders agreed that a stable and peaceful border was an important anchor for the continued expansion of our partnership. Prime Minister emphasized the value India attaches to Myanmar's cooperation in ensuring that insurgent groups do not find space to operate across the India-Myanmar border.