India

Attention: open in a new window.

Major Facts

Statistics: Trade: 995 million U.S. dollars It is Burma’s 4th largest trading partner after Thailand, China and Singapore Investment: 219.57 million U.S. dollars as of October 2008 Refugees from Burma: Shared Border: 1643km

Communiqués:

Policy reports:

Latest News:

Background

Diplomatic relations since: 1948
Burma Policy: Constructive Engagement
Major issues:

Northeast Insurgency
China’s growing presence in the Bay of Bengal
Look East Development Policy
Oil and gas
Refugees
Drugs and cross border crime
Arms

Immediate after the 1988 uprisings India condemned the regime and gave outspoken support for ASSK. However the increasing closeness of Burma with China fuelled India’s fears of the “China threat” and a U-turn of India’s Burma policy – notably analyst see a relationship with the timing of a construction of a Chinese military listening post on Burma’s Coco Islands that monitors the Bay of Bengal and India’s policy switch. Since 1994, India’s Look East Policy has guided its relations with Burma and sees the country as an important strategic partner in ending insurgency in the border region. Although India is a strong believer of democracy, the government says that it will not impose its values on other nations and believes that it is ultimately up to countries to decide their own political systems.

However several members of Parliament support the democratic opposition through the Indian Parliamentary Forum for Democracy in Burma (IPFDB)

Statements

Major Deals and Cooperation

Border trade agreement (1994) and opening up of crossborder points. Joint military operations against India’s Northeast insurgents. consultations between foreign offices, BIMST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand-Economic Cooperation), military cooperation, Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) and Kunming Initiative (under the Look East policy) major infrastructural projects like the Trans-Asia Highway
a Corvette of the Burmese Navy was invited for the first time to participate in the multi-nation exercise Milan-06, off the Andaman Coast, held between January 9 and 14, 2006

December 22 and 26, 2005 - two Indian warships paid a visit to Rangoon to participate in basic exercises in tandem with the Burmese Navy

April 2008 - memorandum of understanding on intelligence exchange is to combat transnational crime including terrorism.

26 Aug 2009 - A six-day bi-annual meeting between Indian and Burmese military officers held in Kalemyo town, Sagaing division in North-western Burma, to discuss issues relating to border management, as part of an ongoing military level cooperation.

6-8 Apr 2009 - India’s Ambassador to Burma, Alok Sen, visited the north-eastern state of Mizoram to discuss the status of Indo-Burma border trade and the Kaladan multi-modal project.

26 Mar 2009 - India’s leading automaker TATA Motors on Thursday met Burmese Minister of Energy (2) Vice-Admiral Soe Thein, and held parleys on setting up a truck manufacturing unit in Burma

High Level Visits

March 1993	Indian Foreign Secretary J.N. Dixit visited Rangoon
February 1994	Indian Home Secretary NN Vohra visited Myanmar to sign agreements on anti-drug cooperation and on action against armed groups, particularly insurgents operating on both sides of the Indian-Myanmar border.
May 1994	Chief of Army staff of India paid an official visit to Myanmar
January 2000	India’s top general V. Prakesh Malik met with Gen Maung Aye in Burma
January 2000	Gen Maung Aye in Burma visited India
November 2000	General Maung Aye (Army commander-in-chief) visited New Delhi
January 2001	Indian Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Sushil Kumar visited Rangoon
November 2001	Burmese Commander in Chief Vice Adm. Kyi Min visited Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata
2001 or April 2002?	Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh visited Yangon
September 2003	Indian naval chief Admiral Madhvendra Singh visited Yangon
January 2003	Foreign Minister Win Aung to India
November 2003	India’s Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekawat visited Yangon
October 2004	Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran visited burma
October 2004	Sr General Than Shwe visit to India
February 2005	Myanmar Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Soe Thein visited India
March 2005	Indian foreign minister Natwar Singh visited burma
14 October 2005	Home Secretary VK Duggal visited Burma 11^th round of talks between the home ministries
November 2005	Indian Army Chief' General Joginder Jaswant Singh
January 2006	India's Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash visited Burma
March 8-10, 2006	President APJ Abdul Kalam began his three day state visit to Myanmar
February 2007	Indian Home Secretary paid an official visit toNaypyidaw to discuss security, border management, and drug smuggling
2007	visit by the head of the Myanmar navy to India
2007	Indian Petroleum Minister arrived to witness the signing of an additional production sharing agreement
November 2007	India Prime minister met PM Thein sein in Singpoare
1 January 2008	Myanmar Foreign Minister's visit to New Delhi
7 to 10 February 2008	permanent secretary of foreign affairs to Yangon
2-6 April 2008	Vice-Senior General Maung Aye went to India on the invitation of the Indian Vice-President. Met President Ms Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh
22 to 23 November 2008	permanent secretary of foreign affairs to Yangon
15 March 2008	Director General of Military Operations visited Myanmar
6 September 2008	Commandant of the National Defence College
21 October 2008	General Officer Commanding, Eastern Command
6 February 2009	Indian Vice-President Shri M. Hamid Ansari visited Naypyidaw and met with Maung Aye
11-13 Oct 2009	India’s Army Chief, General Deepak Kapoor, made a three-day visit to Burma to boost military cooperation and met Sr. Gen. Than Shwe, Maung Aye,
19 Jan 2010	Indian Home Secretary G K Pillai held talks with Deputy Minister for Home Affairs, Brigadier General Phone Swe in Burma on various issues including security, drug trafficking and border management

EVENT TRACKER

2010.11.08	US + India	In an outspoken address to the Indian Parliament, US President Barack Obama strongly criticized New Delhi's policy on Burma.
2010.10.24-27	India	A delegation led by Major General GS Malhi, VSM of Army Higher Command Course of Indian Defence Services of the Republic of India made a study tour to Burma
2010.10.12	India	Senior General Than Shwe received a goodwill delegation led by the Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of Army Staff of Indian Army General Deepak Kapoor, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC at the Bayintnaung Yeiktha
2010.09.30	India	India’s National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon said that November elections in Burma may offer hope for the country's future
2010.09.04	India	Trade ministers from the four northeastern Indian states bordering Burma are set to meet Burmese trade and investment delegates this month in the military-ruled country in a bid to boost border trade and overcome hurdles, an Indian Chamber of Commerce official said.
2010.08.26	India	Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said India believes that neighbouring Myanmar has no nuclear programme but is monitoring developments closely
2010.08.24	India	The ruling party in India’s northeastern border Mizoram State said it would like Burmese elections planned for November 7 to be free and fair.
2010.07.25-29	India	Burma's military leader, Snr-Gen Than Shwe, will visit India from July 25 to 29, his second visit in six years. On the 27th India and Burma signed a total of five agreements covering a wide range of subjects including enhanced co-operation in the field of energy resources as well as development, to cross border security.
2010.06.03	India	The Burmese and Thai ambassadors to India met the minister of northeastern regional development in New Delhi recently to discuss trade, tourism and connectivity along the road under the huge Kaladan River transport project
2010.06.01	India	India implemented a Free Trade Agreement with Burma
2010.03.23	India	Tata Motors, ‘India's largest automobile company’ has signed a contract with Myanmar (Burma) Automobile and Diesel Industries Ltd. under the Ministry of Industries - 2, to set up a heavy truck unit in the military ruled country.
2010.03.22	India	The Ta Ta Motors Limited of the Republic of India and Myanma Automobile and Diesel Engine Industries under the Ministry of Industry -2 signed an agreement for heavy truck production
2010.03.17	India	Indian Parliamentarians' Forum for Democracy in Burma made up of Indian MPs has urged the government of India to put pressure on the Burmese junta to start a dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi and hold free and fair elections, and urged the Indian government to work with the Secretary General of the United Nations calling for unconditional release of Aung San Suu Kyi and for the national reconciliation in Burma.
2010.03.01	India	An Indian delegation led by Foreign Secretary Ms Nirupama Rao attended the Myanmar-India Foreign Office Consultations with Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister of Myanmar U Maung Myint in Burma.
2010.03.01	SPDC + India	India's energy ministry announced India's Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and Gas Authority of India Ltd (Gail) will spend US$1.1 billion on rights to develop two gas field blocks and US$250 million on a connecting pipeline. Burma's military government confirmed the gas investment in a statement following broader diplomatic talks held with an Indian delegation in Naypyidaw.
2010.02.22-25	SPDC + India	Burmese Navy Chief, Vice Admiral Nyan Tun paid a five-day visit to India. He met Indian Defence Minister A.K Antony, Indian Chief of Army Staff General Deepak Kapoor, Navy Chief, Admiral Nirmal Verma, and the Vice Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal P.K. Barbora.
2010.01.19-21	India	Indian Home Secretary Gopal K. Pillai held talks with Deputy Minister for Home Affairs , Brigadier General Phone Swe in Burma on various issues including security, drug trafficking and border management
2010.01.08-09	India	Foreign Affairs U Nyan Win attended the 5th North-East Business Summit in Kolkata, India
2009.10.11-13	India	India’s Army Chief, General Deepak Kapoor, made a three-day visit to Burma to boost military cooperation
2009.08.26	India	A six-day bi-annual meeting between Indian and Burmese military officers held in Kalemyo town, Sagaing division in North-western Burma, to discuss issues relating to border management, as part of an ongoing military level cooperation.
2009.08.13	India	India reacted to the conviction of Aung San Suu Kyi with a statement urging the Burmese regime to “expedite” political reform and the process of national reconciliation.
2009.06.10	India	118 Indian Members of Parliament (MP) called on Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to press Burma's military regime to release Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and restore democracy to the country
2009.04.06-08	India	India’s Ambassador to Burma, Alok Sen, visited the north-eastern state of Mizoram to discuss the status of Indo-Burma border trade and the Kaladan multi-modal project.
2009.03.26	India	India’s leading automaker TATA Motors on Thursday met Burmese Minister of Energy (2) Vice-Admiral Soe Thein, and held parleys on setting up a truck manufacturing unit in Burma
2009.02.06	India	India’s vice president, Shri M. Hamid Ansari, made a four-day trip to Burma. The Indian delegation was welcomed by the junta’s No 2, Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye.
2009.01.15	India	The United States froze assets of two Burmese businessmen and their companies for aiding the military rulers of the country. The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control on Thursday announced freezing assets of Burmese business tycoons Win Aung and Zaw Zaw, and their business entities accounting for 14 companies.

Last Updated on Monday, 29 November 2010 18:45