Our Correspondent
Kohima | December 2
Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, Special Secretary’s (PD), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India today asserted that India is acutely cautious that “we have to speed up project implementation.” In this connection, he said that the role of the Government of Nagaland is very crucial while also looking forward to the continued support of the Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to put the efforts in reality.
Speaking at the International Conference on “India’s Northeast: The Bridgehead between Myanmar and India” here today, Chakravarty said India’s relations with her neighbours occupy a central place in India’s foreign policy.
“We believe a peaceful periphery will enable us to focus on the essential task of development. It is also clear that a stable and prosperous South Asia will contribute to India’s own prosperity. India is ready to walk the extra mile to strengthen bridges of friendship and create new opportunities for the growth, security and wellbeing of neighbours both bilaterally and through the multi-lateral mechanisms,” he said.
He also stated that India believed this approach can provide a broad framework for each of neighbours to complement their own national priorities. We remain committed to fostering inter-connectivity and mutual confidence in multiple areas, in promoting trade and investment and in trying to leverage our collective economic growth into win-win arrangements with our neighbours. While according the highest priority to our neighbours, we know that good neighbourly relations require people to people contact, trade and political understanding.
India has a certain responsibility because we are neighbours to all – none of them are each other’s – except Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Stating that India share a long border of over 1600 kms and a maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal with Myanmar, four North Eastern State – Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram borders Myanmar, he said that it has a direct bearing on developments in North Eastern region, as well as on our larger interests in the Indian Ocean.
As the only ASEAN country having a land border with India, Myanmar is the land bridge between South and South East Asia and the main geographical link between India and ASEAN, he said adding Myanmar constitutes a significant pillar of our ‘Look East’ policy.
For the whole region and sub-regions, Myanmar’s role in regional connectivity is pivotal, he said.
He said India and Myanmar enjoy deep-rooted and multifaceted relationship anchored in civilization ties. Our close, friendly and good neighbourly relations have been further cemented via high level political contacts, including the State Visits of the President of Myanmar to India in October 2011 and that of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to Myanmar in May 2012. Our bilateral relations, always cordial, have acquired new range, depths and vitality over the past decade or so.
The visit of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to Myanmar, after a gap of 25 years, resulted in the signing of 12 agreements and MoUs, in diverse sectors.
As a close and friendly neighbor, India is committed for cooperating with Myanmar in its development and to enhance infrastructure and trade linkages between North East India and Western Myanmar, he said adding “We have several ongoing bilateral projects in diverse fields including Roads, Rail, Power, Telecommunications, Information Technology, Remote Sensing, Agriculture, Ocean Development and Higher Education.”
He also highlighted that the India Myanmar Thailand Highway is another ambitious project seeking to connect our North East with Thailand, via Myanmar. During the visit of the PM to Myanmar in May, Indian assistance to construction of 71 bridges on the Tamu Kalewa road and construction of the Kalewa Yargyi road section of the Trilateral Highway was announced. We have revived the Joint Task Force meeting on the Trilateral Highway between India, Myanmar and Thailand, at its meeting in September 2012 in New Delhi, the three sides agreed to work towards establishing trilateral connectivity by 2016.
India and Myanmar are also working towards the launch of the Imphal Mandalay Passenger Bus Service. This would be a significant initiative towards establishing increased people-to-people contacts, especially for the communities in our north east, he said.
