Five facts about China-Myanmar relations
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India will seek two more border trade centres with Myanmar
October 12, 2008: New Delhi, India will seek two more border trade centres with Myanmar in the North-eastern states of Manipur and Mizoram but Arunachal Pradesh will be kept out of the proposal owing to security reasons.
Sources: PTI/ The Hindu
The issue will be taken up by Minister of State for Commerce and Power Jairam Ramesh at Mandalay in Myanmar during his two-day visit from Tuesday.
At present, Moreh in Manipur is the only operational trade centre on the border. India will propose two additional such centres -- Avangkhu in Nagaland and Zowkhathar side.
"However, border trade centres in Arunachal Pradesh are not under discussion because of security and other considerations on the Indian side," an official statement said.
The Minister will also propose an expansion of items to be traded with a view to move towards normal free trade very soon at these centres. India will also reiterate its offer to include Mynamar in the duty free tariff preference scheme announced by it for LDCs. The details of the financing mechanism to facilitate expanded bilateral trade will also be firmed up during the Mandalay talks.
In his two previous visits earlier this year, apart from the bilateral investment promotion and protection agreement, pacts were signed for a USD 60 million line of credit from India to Myanmar for power transmission to be executed by the Power Grid Corporation of India and another USD 60 million line of credit for a 111 mw hydel power project to be executed by BHEL.