Modi, Myanmar President hold talks on trade, connectivity and border security

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging discussions with Min Aung Hlaing on strengthening bilateral cooperation in trade, connectivity, defence and border security. The talks come amid Myanmar's political transition and underline the strategic importance of India-Myanmar relations

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held wide-ranging talks with Myanmar President U Min Aung Hlaing focusing on boosting bilateral cooperation in trade, connectivity, border security and defence. Aung Hlaing is currently on a five-day trip to India. The visit comes less than two months after he became the president following Myanmar’s parliament elections.

The elections were held in December and January after years of protests against the ruling military-junta that seized power in a coup on February 1, 2021 overthrowing the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. “Deepening the bonds of friendship and cooperation. PM @narendramodi greets President U Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar upon his arrival at the Hyderabad House for bilateral talks,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on social media.

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Myanmar is one of India’s strategic neighbours and it shares a 1,640-km-long border with a number of northeastern states including militancy-hit Nagaland and Manipur. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Sunday met Aung Hlaing and discussed key issues relating to bilateral ties. The Myanmarese leader is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising several cabinet ministers, senior officials and business leaders.

Aung Hlaing was earlier scheduled to visit New Delhi to participate in the International Big Cat Alliance Summit on June 1, which has been deferred. The Myanmarese president will also travel to Mumbai on June 2 for business and industry interactions and site visits.