Kohima, February 8 (MExN): Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has returned from his five-day first-ever official visit to Myanmar. He extended the goodwill of India, especially from the people of Nagaland, to the people of Myanmar and highlighted that his visit was to promote peace, better understanding and development.
Rio met the Myanmar Union Border Affairs Minister Lt. Gen. Thet Naing, the Speaker of the Myanmar Parliament, Thura U Shwe Mann, the chief minister of Mandalay, U Ye Mint and the chief minister of Sagiang, U Thar Aye, the Vice President of the Union Solidarity Party, Naga Myanmar Members of Parliament, civil society representatives, entrepreneurs, and officials of the Indian Embassy led by the Ambassador of India to Myanmar, Gautam Mukhopadhaya, the Deputy Chief of Mission Sailas Thangal and the Indian Council General of Mandalay, Dr. Madan Mohan Sethi.
In his meeting with the Chief Minister of Mandalay, Rio expressed the need to make efforts towards increased ties between the people of Myanmar and India for confidence building measures. The two chief ministers agreed that cultural exchanges and bringing the people towards common platforms would enhance the relationship between the people.
The Nagaland chief minister stated in his meetings that Nagas want peace, development and progress. This feeling was the strongest amongst the youth and he expressed satisfaction that on both sides of the border the political groups and undergrounds were in ceasefire with the governments of Myanmar and India. He hoped that the dialogues would bring political settlement and speed up the process of development.
Highlighting that the Nagaland government has been urging both the governments of India and Myanmar to focus on the suffering of the Nagas in Myanmar, Rio appreciated Myanmar for the recognition that was accorded to the Nagas in the form of the “Naga Self Autonomous Zone” and also appreciated New Delhi for the Prime Minister’s aid package of 25 million US dollars to Myanmar, over a five year period, meant for the border regions, specially the Naga areas.
In the meeting with the Chief Minister of Sagaing, Rio appreciated the efforts of the Sagaing government for giving importance and recognition to the “Naga Self Administered Zone”. Both the chief ministers agreed that efforts must be made to ensure that people on both sides of the border must be able to move without needing visas and that confidence building measures must be enhanced.
The Speaker of the Myanmar Parliament appealed to the Nagaland Government for cooperation and support in implementing development and improving bilateral ties with India. Rio extended India’s fullest cooperation and assistance, especially Nagaland, towards the neighboring country and its people and highlighted that the North Eastern region and Myanmar are at the core of India’s Look East Policy and hoped that this region would become a place of vital importance in the global economy, particularly in the ASEAN region.
In the meeting with the Union Minister of Border Affairs, Rio highlighted the need to improve connectivity in the Naga areas and informed the Myanmar Government that on the Indian side of the border, roads have been constructed at all the meeting points within Nagaland and urged for the road construction within Myanmar to be expedited. Rio informed that the Prime Minister of India would be visiting Myanmar in March 2014 and he expressed confidence that India would make more commitments towards assisting Myanmar in its march towards democracy and human progress.
As a follow up the visit, the Indian Ambassador to Myanmar, Gautam Mukhopadhaya will visit Nagaland in April and tour the border regions in order to make future programmes and projects more effective and people oriented.
The Chief Minister also had meetings with the Naga parliamentarians and representatives of the church in Myanmar. He urged them to make tireless efforts to bring peace, improve education, health care and connectivity and make every possible contribution to unite the people.
