Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met Myanmar’s Junta Leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok and condoled the loss of lives in the deadly earthquake that hit Myanmar last week.
During the meeting with the junta chief, Modi reassured India’s assistance to the people of Myanmar in this critical time.
“Both leaders discussed bilateral relations between India and Myanmar, particularly in sectors like connectivity, capacity building, infrastructure development and more,” read the statement issued by the Indian government.
After the meeting, Modi posted on X: “I had a separate meeting with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, Thailand. I reiterated my condolences for the loss of lives and property due to the severe earthquake. India is doing everything possible to help our brothers and sisters in Myanmar in this difficult time.”
Myanmar Earthquake
A 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar last Friday, which left 3145 people dead.
India sent its medical, rescue experts and other humanitarian aid to the neighbouring nation after the quake.
Rescue operations in the country are still underway.
Modi Discusses Bilateral Ties
Apart from discussing the earthquake and its effect on the nation, Modi and the Myanmar leaders also held bilateral talks.
“We also discussed bilateral relations between India and Myanmar, particularly in sectors like connectivity, capacity building, infrastructure development and more,” Modi said.
Modi Meets Bhutan PM
Modi met the Prime Minister of Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay, on the sidelines of the 6th BIMSTEC summit in the Thai capital on Friday.
In a post on X, he stated: “Had a great conversation with my good friend, PM Tobgay. India’s friendship with Bhutan is robust. We are cooperating extensively in several sectors.”
Modi And BIMSTEC
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday participated in the 6th BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Summit hosted by Thailand, the current chair.
The theme of the Summit was – “BIMSTEC: Prosperous, Resilient and Open”.
It reflected the priorities of the leaders and the aspirations of the peoples of the BIMSTEC region, as well as the efforts of BIMSTEC in ensuring shared growth in times of global uncertainties.
The Prime Minister began his address by offering condolences on the loss of lives in the devastating earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand.
Highlighting BIMSTEC as a vital bridge between South Asia and South-East Asia, the Prime Minister underlined that the Group had become an impactful platform for regional cooperation, coordination and progress.
In this regard, he called for further strengthening the agenda and capacity of BIMSTEC.
The Prime Minister announced several India-led initiatives towards institution and capacity building in BIMSTEC.
These include the setting up of BIMSTEC Centres of Excellence in India on Disaster Management, Sustainable Maritime Transport, Traditional Medicine, and Research and Training in Agriculture.
He also announced a new programme for skilling the youth – BODHI [BIMSTEC for Organised Development of Human Resource Infrastructure] under which training and scholarships would be provided to professionals, students, researchers, diplomats and others.
He also offered a pilot study in India to assess regional needs in Digital Public Infrastructure and a capacity-building programme for cancer care in the region.
Calling for greater regional economic integration, the Modi offered to establish the BIMSTEC Chamber of Commerce and to organise the BIMSTEC Business Summit every year in India.
(With inputs from IBNS)
