Foreign Secretary of India Dr S. Jaishankar is undertaking an official visit to Myanmar on December 20, 2017.
During the visit, he called on State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Union Minister in State Counsellor's Office U Kyaw Tint Swe and Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr Win Myat Aye. All matters relating to bilateral cooperation, including follow up on decisions taken during recent visit of Prime Minister of India to Myanmar, as well as matters pertaining to Rakhine State were discussed during these meetings.
Foreign Secretary of India and Myanmar Deputy Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement U Soe Aung signed a bilateral MOU on Rakhine State Development Programme. This MoU is the first Government to Government agreement signed by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement of Myanmar with a cooperation partner focussed on socio-economic development and livelihood initiatives in Rakhine State. This is intended to help the Government of Myanmar achieve its objective of restoration of normalcy in Rakhine State and enable the return of displaced persons. Under this MoU, Government of India proposes to take up, among others, a project to build prefabricated housing in Rakhine State so as to meet the immediate needs of returning people.
In addition to the Rakhine State project proposals, a number of ongoing friendship projects were reviewed. Issues regarding the operation and maintenance of Sittwe port and the road from Paletwa- Zorinpui were reviewed. Other key projects such as the Rhi- Tiddim road project, the Trilateral Highway road from Kalewa to Yargyi, the project to build 69 bridges on the Tamu-Kyigone-Kalewa road, the Yamethin Police Training Centre and hospital projects, etc., were also discussed.
Foreign Secretary earlier also called on Commander in Chief of the Myanmar Defence Services, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. All matters relating to security, bilateral cooperation as well as the situation in Northern Rakhine State were discussed.
New Delhi
December 20, 2017