Five facts about China-Myanmar relations
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Myanmar's General Maung Aye to visit India next month
March 9, 2008: (The Times of India) New Delhi, Notwithstanding international pressure to apply sanctions on Myanmar, India is expected to sign an agreement with it on an ambitious multi-modal transport project next month when the second most powerful man in the country's ruling military junta undertakes a visit to India.
Vice Senior General Maung Aye will arrive in the
Capital on April 4 for talks with Indian leaders on various bilateral issues.
The issues
expected to dominate are economic cooperation, connectivity, security and
energy, they said.
The
highlight of the visit is expected to be the signing of Kaladan multi-modal
transport project which envisages connectivity between Indian ports on the
eastern seaboard and Sittwe Port in Myanmar and then through riverine transport
and by road to Mizoram.
It will
provide alternate route for transport of goods to North East India, bypassing Bangladesh which has so far refused to grant
transit to India.
After six
rounds of talks since 2003, the two sides have already initiated the Draft
Framework Agreement on the Project, Draft Protocol on Facilitation of Transit
Transport, Draft Protocol on Financial Arrangements and Draft Protocol on Joint
Maintenance and Administration.
Under the
Protocol on Financial Arrangements, Myanmar
has agreed to contribute US $10 million and free land for the project while India will
contribute the balance amount of about US $100 million as well as be liable for
any cost overruns.