PM to visit Myanmar next month

Amid Myanmar's strides towards full democracy, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to undertake a visit to that country next month that is aimed at bolstering the bilateral ties.

Amid Myanmar's strides towards full democracy, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to undertake a visit to that country next month that is aimed at bolstering the bilateral ties.

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Singh is expected to go on a two-day visit dates for which are being finalised through diplomatic channels, sources said in New Delhi on Tuesday.

The visit will take place at a time when Myanmar is moving towards democracy, with pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi winning byelections on Monday and set to enter Parliament.

Over the last few years, India has been developing its relations with Myanmar with which it shares a long border.

India strongly resisted the US and Western countries which were pushing it to implement the sanctions and speak up on human rights violations in Myanmar two years back.

New Delhi always maintained that Myanmar's military rulers should be persuaded to move towards democracy through dialogue rather than coercion which prove counterproductive.

India is actively involved in over a dozen projects in Myanmar, both in infrastructural and non-infrastructural areas.

These include upgradation and resurfacing of the 160km long Tamu-Kalewa-Kalemyo road, construction and upgradation of the Rhi-Tiddim Road in Myanmar and the Kaladan Multimodal Transport Project.