Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing on 5-day visit to India, will meet PM Modi and participate in many big programs
Delhi. Myanmar President U Min Aung Hlaing began a five-day visit to India on Saturday. The objective of this visit will be to enhance bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade, connectivity, border security and defence. Ang Hlaing started his journey with a visit to the Mahabodhi Temple in Gaya. After this he will reach Delhi this evening.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on social media, “Myanmar President U Min Aung Hlaing is warmly welcomed on his arrival in Bodhgaya.”
The Myanmar President was welcomed at the airport by Bihar Governor Lieutenant General (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain. Aung Hlaing’s visit to India comes less than two months after becoming President after parliamentary elections in Myanmar. The elections were held in December and January after years of protests against the ruling military junta rule. The military regime overthrew the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup on February 1, 2021.
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh represented India at the presidential swearing-in ceremony of Aung Hlaing last month. Aung Hlaing led military rule in Myanmar for the past five years. Myanmar is one of India’s strategic neighbors and shares a 1,640-km long border with several northeastern states, including insurgency-hit Nagaland and Manipur. The Myanmar President is accompanied by a high-level delegation including several cabinet ministers, senior officials and business leaders.
Aung Hlaing was earlier scheduled to go to New Delhi to attend the ‘International Big Cat Alliance’ summit on June 1, but the event has been postponed. The Foreign Ministry said, “President U Min Aung Hlaing will discuss with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 1 to further strengthen the historical and civilizational ties between the two countries.” He will also participate in a business forum.” The Myanmar President will also visit Mumbai on June 2 to interact with business and industry leaders and visit sites.
Jaiswal said in his weekly media conference on Friday that issues related to border security and connectivity will be discussed during the Myanmar leader’s visit to India. “All issues covering the broad spectrum of relations between India and Myanmar in relation to border security, connectivity and other issues will be discussed,” he said. Our objective is to take forward our friendly and civilizational relations.
Jaiswal said that Myanmar is included in India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’, ‘Act East’ and ‘Ocean’ policies. People familiar with the Myanmar leader’s visit said ways to expand defense and trade ties will be a major focus of talks between the two sides. Prime Minister Modi, during his visit to Mauritius in March last year, had announced the vision of ‘Mahasagar’ or ‘Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth across Regions’ for India’s engagement with the ‘Global South’.
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