Chiang Mai - Burma and India on Thursday announced measures to enhance border trade, including the opening of a new border trading depot and an increase in the number of eligible trade goods to 40, from 22.
The agreement was achieved during the two-day 'India-Myanmar Joint Trade Committee' meeting between a visiting Indian delegation led by Minister of State for Commerce and Power Jairam Ramesh and the Burmese delegation led by Minister for Commerce Brig. Gen. Tin Naing Thein – with talks held on October 14 and 15, in Burma's second largest city of Mandalay.
During the meeting, both countries agreed to convert the present border trade at the Tamu-Moreh and Rhi-Zokhawthar border points into normal trade and to expand the list of items that can be legally traded, according to a statement released by Indian officials.
It was further decided to open a border trading post at Avakhung-Leshi, between India's Nagaland and Burma's Sagaing Division.
On Thursday, Ramesh and Burmese Prime Minister Lt.-Gen. Thein Sein inaugurated the India-Myanmar Centre for Enhancement of IT Skills (IMCEITS) in Rangoon, Burma's former capital.
The IMCEITS is set up by India's Centre for Advancement of Computing with Indian assistance of US 2 million dollars. The Centre will be connected to ten regional centres and is expected to train nearly 1,000 IT professionals per year, according to the statement.
Burma, during the meeting, also agreed to submit a letter of intent to join the Duty Free Tariff Reference scheme, which India has offered to least developed countries.
Ramesh's visit, which is the third in 2008, is a part of Indian ongoing efforts to expand their bilateral relationship with Burma.
"Myanmar [Burma] has, in recent times, become an important trade partner of India," read the statement from India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Student activists in India's Northeastern states, which share a border with Burma, said India's push to open more trade points is a part of its 'Look East' policy, which they argue is non-beneficial for the people in the region.
Muanpuia, Vice-Chairman of the Northeast Students Organisation, the principle student body in the region, said India's Look East policy overlooks the interests of the people in the region while aiming only to maintain a foothold in Burma as a counterweight to the growing Chinese influence.
"India should not deal with the Burmese military junta, as it is not beneficial for the people of India," Muanpuia told Mizzima in an earlier interview.
According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India's exports to Burma for fiscal year 2007-08 amounted to about $185 million.
In 2006-07, bilateral trade between India and Burma stood at a total of US 650 million dollars, falling short of the targeted US 1 billion dollars but up from a figure of US 558 million the previous year, itself a 25 percent jump from corresponding statistics for 2004-05.
