[The project includes a waterway, building roads and developing the
Sittwe ****t on the edge of the Bay of Bengal linking Myanmar to
Mizoram through the Kaladan river bypassing Bangladesh]
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=30721
Daily Star, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Friday, April 4, 2008
Delhi signs trans****t deal with Yangon
Our Correspondent, New Delhi
India and Myanmar Wednesday signed an agreement for India's investment
of $130 million to develop a multi-modal trans****t project in western
Myanmar enhancing connectivity between the two countries.
The project includes a waterway, building roads and developing the
Sittwe ****t on the edge of the Bay of Bengal linking Myanmar to
Mizoram through the Kaladan river bypassing Bangladesh, Indian
External Affairs Ministry officials said.
It also includes a protocol on facilitation of transit trans****t that
will give India's landlocked north-eastern states a new trade route to
South East Asia and enhance connectivity benefiting not only Myanmar
but India as well, they pointed out.
India had been negotiating with Bangladesh for an access route to the
north-eastern states without any success, the officials said.
The agreement was signed in presence of the second-in-command of
Myanmar's ruling military junta Vice-senior General Maung Aye and
Indian Vice-president Hamid Ansari.
The deal, the highlight of Gen Maung Aye's four-day visit, comes at a
time when the international community is trying to put pressure on the
military rulers in Myanmar to usher in democracy.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held talks with the Myanmar
general during which they decided to open up the existing border trade
points to further promote trade.
Singh emphasised the need for cross-border infrastructure projects to
promote greater connectivity.
New Delhi is looking at increasing border trade with Myanmar through
two new towns besides the existing one in Moreh in the north-eastern
Indian state of Manipur which connects with Tamu in Myanmar, the
officials said.
Gen Maung Aye also held talks with Indian External Affairs Minister
Pranab Mukherjee and Indian army chief Gen Deepak Kapur.
Curbing insurgency and enhancing trade are on the agenda of the
Myanmar general's talks with Indian leaders, said the officials.
The issue of Myanmar's move towards political reforms also figured
prominently in talks Gen Maung Aye had with Indian leader****p.
Noting the positive steps taken by the Myanmar junta towards national
reconciliation and political reforms, the Indian prime minister
stressed the need for Myanmar to make it broad-based to include all
sections of society including imprisoned pro-democracy leader Aung San
Suu Kyi.
During his meeting with Ansari, the Myanmar general apprised him of
the latest political reforms initiated by his government including the
announcement of a referendum in May this year and elections in 2010.
During Gen Maung Aye's meeting with Indian President Pratibha Patil,
the two leaders noted with satisfaction the growing cooperation at
regional and multilateral levels.
India has consistently opposed economic sanctions against Myanmar
saying they would be counter-productive in pressurising the military
junta to introduce democracy and improve domestic human rights record.
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