India and Myanmar Ink Various Pacts | 28 Feb 2020

Why in News

India and Myanmar signed 10 agreements with a focus on socio-economic development of Myanmar, during Myanmar President U Win Myint’s visit to India.

• Myanmar stands at the confluence of India’s Neighbourhood First and Act East Policy and India-Myanmar partnership is at the heart of India’s vision to create a connected and cooperative neighbourhood.

Key Points

• Connectivity:
  
  • The two countries will start a coordinated bus service between Manipur’s Imphal and Myanmar’s Mandalay from April 2020.
  • India will assist Myanmar in the construction of Integrated Check Point at Tamu, Myanmar, bordering Manipur.
    
    • The two countries signed the Land Border Crossing Agreement in 2018, which allowed bona fide travellers with valid documents to cross the border at two international points of entry/exit- Moreh-Tamu and Zokhawathar-Rih.
• Rakhine State Development Programme:
  
  • More projects will be added to this programme.
  • India signed a development programme for Rakhine State in Myanmar in late 2017 which was designed to assist the Myanmar government in Rakhine State to build housing infrastructure for displaced Rohingyas.
  • India had committed $25 million grant assistance to Myanmar and phase-I involved completion of 250 prefabricated houses in Rakhine State.
• Infrastructure Development:
  
  • India will also support the establishment of Myanmar’s diplomatic academy, and extend the National Knowledge Network to Myanmar.
  • Both countries have decided to extend the Quick Impact Project schemes to Myanmar.
    
    • Under this, India will take up capacity development work in the form of small projects which yield quick beneficial results for the local people.
• International Cooperation:
  
  • Both sides agreed to work together to promote principles of openness, inclusiveness, transparency, respect for international law and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) centrality in Indo-Pacific.
• Cooperation under other sectors:
  
  • India will offer medical radiation equipment Bhabhatron II for the treatment of cancer patients and strengthen cooperation in the health sector.
  • Both countries agreed to have government-to-government cooperation in petroleum, including in refinery, stockpiling, blending and retail.
  • In governance, India will help Myanmar with the project of e-ID cards, which is modelled after the Aadhaar project.
  • The two sides showed commitment to continue negotiations on pending treaties like Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) and Extradition Treaty.
  • An MoU has also been signed on ‘Cooperation for Prevention of Trafficking in Persons; Rescue, Recovery, Repatriation and Re-Integration of Victims of Trafficking’ between the two countries.

Source: IE