Burma assures India over gas supplies

Syed Ali Mujtaba
Mizzima News: 15 May, 2006

Burma's ambassador to India, Kyi Thein, assured industrial representatives that Burma had enough gas to sell to both India and China at a conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries in New Delhi yesterday.

Burma has held talks with both India and China over possible supplies from the A1 and A3 gas fields in Arakan State but Kyi Thein said no firm deals had been made.

"We are still in the negotiation stage and have not finalised the deal with India and China," Kyi Thein said.

In response to a query from a representative of India's Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd, the ambassador said Burma had enough gas to supply both countries.

"Surely, we will sell gas to India, enough gas is there. We would sell it to both India and China," he said.

Kyi Thein also put speculation over the route of a proposed gas pipeline from Burma to India to rest, confirming the pipeline would bypass Bangladesh and enter India's Mizoram State via the Kaladan River.

The ambassador used the conference to promote plans for increased trade between Burma and India and suggested increasing bilateral meetings between representatives from both countries in a bid to boost figures.

"Bilateral trade stood US $12.4 million in 1980 to '81 rose to $557 million in 2005. We will have to intensify trade to reach the challenging target of $1 billion in 2006," Kyi Thein said.

"Ways and means must be found to extend the border trade, which stood at $14.68 million."

Kyaw Thein also told delegates at the conference Burma was planning to set up a new industrial zone in Rangoon that would allow Indian investors to enter into joint ventures or set up industrial outlets.