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Gen. Maung Aye’s visit : India, Myanmar sign Kaladan multi-modal transport pact |
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India and Myanmar have signed an agreement on the Kaladan multi-modal transit transport project. The Project is expected to enhance their connectivity especially with the north-eastern States of India.
The framework agreement and two related protocols for facilitation of the project were signed during a four-day visit to India of Myanmar’s Vice-Senior General Maung Aye. It was signed in New Delhi on April 2 in the presence of Gen. Aye and Vice President Hamid Ansari, after his meetings with the President and the Prime Minister with whom he discussed the current political situation in Myanmar. Aye welcomed Indian investment in hydrocarbons, IT and agro-business and was even interested in long term contract farming essentially for the pulses. His visits indicated that Myanmar was interested in India’s help to launch its own satellite as well as Indian investment in the downstream petroleum sector. Aye visited the Indian Space Research Organisation [ISRO] and the Reliance Industries refinery in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
Dr. Manmohan Singh in his talks with Gen. Aye underlined the need for Myanmar to make the national reconciliation and political reforms process broadbased to include the various ethnic groups including Aung San Suu Kyi. During the meeting with Ansari, the Myanmar Vice General conveyed the latest political reforms undertaken by his Government including the announcement of referendum in May 2008 and elections in 2010. He thanked India for its assistance for cross-border infrastructure projects, construction of roads, lines of credit and establishment of IT Centre at Yangon. Cooperation in security matters on the India-Myanmar border was also discussed.
Gen. Maung Aye is the second highest ranking member of the ruling junta. He also visited other parts of the country including India’s IT capital, Bangalore.
The Rs. 536-crore Kaladan project was signed after numerous delays. The project was due to be inked last October, but, the Indian Government, which was under tremendous international pressure to push the Myanmar junta towards democratic reforms, decided to wait till the right time to ink the final agreement. The project will provide an alternative route for transporting goods to and from the northeast. The ambitious project includes the building of a waterway and roads and developing the Sittwe Port linking Myanmar to Mizoram through the Kaladan river.
This far-reaching project will provide India’s north-east access to Myanmar and from there all the way to the Andaman Sea. The project includes the upgradation of the seaport in Sittwe, widening and deepening of the Kaladan river and development of a road to connect the Mizoram capital, Aizwal. The Kaladan project will include shipping, riverine and road transport. New Delhi wants to connect the North East with the commercial sea routes. Moreover, with the development of Sittwe port and the Kaladan river as navigation efficient, the region is expected to have another viable access to the South East Asian countries.
As it is, Myanmar is just 25 minutes away from the Andamans. The Kaladan project will establish an Indian beach head at the historic port of Sittwe. From there, a 225-km waster way will be developed till Kaletwa by dredging the Kaladan river for navigation, and a 180-km road onwards to the Indian border. The project is expected to be completed in five years.
The strategic and commercial benefits to India are considerable. For one, it will help India get a foothold in a country where China has already established itself. Then India will get around, as the official proposal presented to the Cabinet notes, Bangladesh’s continued intransigence in providing transit rights through its territory. With Bangladesh holding India to ransom, the Government has felt that the project will convey a strong message that India does not lack alternatives. New Delhi can also breathe easy that the Chinese have been edged out of the Sittwe port project that Beijing has so desperately coveted.
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