A road trip to Thailand or Myanmar via Northeast India may soon become a reality if a proposed motor vehicle (MV) agreement that India plans to sign with the two countries comes through.
In line with the Narendra Modi government’s thrust to increase cooperation in the South Asian region, the road transport ministry is readying the framework of the proposed multilateral MV agreement that would open the door for seamless transit of passenger and cargo vehicles between the three countries.
On April 18, the transport secretaries of India, Thailand and Myanmar will meet in Chennai to decide the contours of the agreement.
“Once the framework is agreed upon, it would be just a matter of time before a formal agreement is signed. It would give a big boost to trade and economy in the region” said a government official.
The proposed MV agreement is similar to the agreement that India plans to sign with Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal in June.
“The framework for the BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India) corridor has already been finalised. Once the agreement with Myanmar and Thailand is signed it will be integrated with the BBIN corridor,” said an official.
{{/usCountry}}“The framework for the BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India) corridor has already been finalised. Once the agreement with Myanmar and Thailand is signed it will be integrated with the BBIN corridor,” said an official.
{{/usCountry}}Currently India only has a bilateral motor vehicle agreement with Nepal and Bangladesh but a multilateral pact would go a long way in strengthening trade and tourism in the region.
India is also set to launch a weekly cross border bus service between Imphal in Manipur and Mandalay in central Myanmar.