Ending twenty-five-year hiatus, PM to visit Myanmar

In a first visit in 25 years by an Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh will embark on a three-day trip to Myanmar from Sunday during which he will hold talks with the leadership there and meet opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The Prime Minister is also expected to extend an invitation to Suu Kyi to visit India when he meets her on Tuesday next week, sources said. Singh, accompanied by his wife Gursharan Kaur, will also have External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and senior officials in his delegation when he will hold talks with Myanmar President U Thein Sein on bilateral, regional and other issues of mutual interest. [caption id=“attachment_320271” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“For the first time in 25 years, an Indian PM, Manmohan Singh will visit Myanmar for talks.”]  [/caption] Measures to boost bilateral trade and expand connectivity, including increasing the number of flights are likely to figure in the discussions. India’s proposal to open a bus route from Imphal to Mandalay is also likely to come up. “Apart from the official engagements in Nay Pyi Taw, the Prime Minister will also visit Yangon where he is expected to meet Suu Kyi, the Chairperson of the National League for Democracy and other prominent personalities,” the MEA said. A delegation of Indian business leaders will also visit Myanmar at the same time. During his visit, Singh will also deliver a public address on the theme “India and Myanmar: A Partnership for Progress and Regional Development” at a function organised by the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce & Industry and the Myanmar Development Resource Institute. There will also be interactions between the business delegations of the two sides. The Prime Minister will also visit the historic Shwedagon Pagoda and the ‘mazar’ of the last Mughal Emperor of India, Bahadur Shah Zafar, in Yangon. He will also interact with the Indian community in Myanmar. The President of Myanmar had paid a State visit to India in October 2011. PTI