Indian foreign secretary, army chief meet Aung San Suu Kyi

Harsh Shringla and Gen MM Naravane discussed “important bilateral issues” during their meeting with Suu Kyi at the foreign ministry in Naypyitaw

Updated on: Oct 5, 2020, 12:25:03 IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By Rezaul H Laskar

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Foreign secretary Harsh Shringla and Indian Army chief Gen MM Naravane met Myanmar’s state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi for talks on taking forward bilateral relations in a wide range of areas.

Foreign secretary Harsh Shringla and Indian Army chief Gen MM Naravane with Myanmar’s state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. (Photo courtesy MEA)

As part of India’s efforts to help Myanmar fight the Covid-19 pandemic, Shringla and Naravane handed over a consignment of 3,000 vials of the drug Remdesivir to Suu Kyi, officials said.

The foreign secretary and the army chief began two-day visit to Myanmar on Sunday, the first time an Indian delegation to the neighbouring country has included both officials. Their meetings with Myanmar’s top civil and military leadership are meant to take forward ties in areas ranging from security to connectivity.

Shringla and Naravane discussed “important bilateral issues” during their meeting with Suu Kyi at the foreign ministry in Naypyitaw, the Indian embassy said in a tweet without giving details.

The operationalisation of Myanmar’s Sittwe port as part of the Kaladan transit transport project to boost connectivity with India’s northeastern states and enhanced security cooperation to counter activities of militant groups, especially along the borders in Manipur and Nagaland are among the key issues on the agenda of the Indian delegation, people familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity.

Also Read: Army chief, foreign secretary to seal shipping agreement and security ties with Myanmar

In August, India provided Myanmar $5 million as the annual contribution under a border area development programme that was started in 2012. The programme was initially meant to last five years, and it was later extended till 2022. It has led to the implementation of around 140 projects in Myanmar’s Chin state and Naga Self-Administered Zone.

The safe return of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar is also expected to figure during the visit. Dhaka has been pressing New Delhi to use its good relations with Naypyitaw to push forward the process, the people said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

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