Indian Ambassador meets Myanmar's Deputy PM, discusses multifaceted relations

Abhay Thakur, the Indian Ambassador to Myanmar, met with Myanmar's Deputy PM and Foreign Minister, Than Swe, in Naypyidaw on Tuesday, May 1 to discuss the various aspects of the bilateral relations between the two countries. Thakur also presented his credentials to the Deputy PM.

The Indian Embassy stated that Thakur also met with Daw Marlar Than Htike, the Permanent Secretary, U Wunna Han, the Director General of the Protocol Department, and U Than Htwe, DG Political, at the MFA, Myanmar.

Last month, Thakur was appointed as the next Indian Ambassador to Myanmar according to a press release by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The MEA stated that the India-Myanmar relations have roots in shared history, ethnicity, culture, and religion.

The two nations share a 1600 km land border and a maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal. A significant population of Indian origin resides in Myanmar and the two countries signed a Treaty of Friendship in 1951. High-level visits have been a regular occurrence between the two nations.

The Indian government is involved in over a dozen infrastructural and non-infrastructural projects in Myanmar. During the 3rd India-Myanmar Joint Trade Committee in October 2008, both countries agreed to upgrade border trade to Normal Trade. India and Myanmar signed a border trade agreement in 1994 and have two operational border trade points.

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