Myanmar President on four-day India visit from tomorrow

New Delhi, Aug 26 (PTI) In his first overseas trip afterassuming charge of the top office, President of Myanmar U HtinKyaw will embark on a four-day India visit from tomorrow tostep up overall bilateral engagement with a major focus onensuring better management of over 1,600 km-long Indo-Myanmarborder. Continuing with the high-level engagement, Aung San SuuKyi, who is the de facto leader of the new government, willpay a visit here later this year to attend a conclave ofregional grouping BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative forMulti-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation). Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy brought downcurtains on five decades of military rule, is the country’sforeign minister. Htin Kyaw will be accompanied by his wife, Daw Su Su Lwin,and a high-level delegation comprising several key ministersand top officials. It will be the first visit by a top Myanmarese leaderafter assumption of office in March by the new government. Sripriya Ranganathan, Joint Secretary in the Ministry ofExternal Affairs, said Myanmar government has conveyed thatSuu Kyi will be coming to India later this year to attend aconclave of regional grouping BIMSTEC (Bay of BengalInitiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and EconomicCooperation). The Myanmarese president will hold extensive talks withPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday during which a host ofissues including border management and ways to containmilitant activities along the Indo-Myanmar border are likelyto figure. Both sides are also likely to discuss ways to boosttrade ties. "We are intending to make it a really substantive visit,"said Ranganathan, adding a number of MoUs will be signedbetween the two sides. Asked about reports that Indian Army had recently crossedinto Myanmar’s border for the second time, she categoricallysaid there was no basis to it. "We have checked with our authorities and it has beenconveyed categorically and clearly that Indian Army did notcross into Myanmar. This information was corroborated byMyanmar government. There is very clear understanding that weoperate on respective side of our border," she said. Ranganathan said there may be efforts by some local peopleresiding in border areas to create confusion. Myanmar, considered one of India’s strategic neighbours,shares a 1,640-km-long border with a number of northeasternstates including militancy-infested Nagaland and Manipur. Asked about difficulties of Indian-origin people notbeing given citizenship papers by local authorities, she saida drive was launched by Myanmar to address their problems. Shesaid very few thousand people are now left with the problem. The Myanmarese President will arrive in Gaya tomorrowwhere he will visit the famous Mahabodhi temple, thearchaeological museum, Daijokyo Buddhist temple. He will leave for Agra from Gaya on Sunday. In Agra, hewill visit the Taj Mahal and return here in the afternoon. The visit of the Myanmarese President comes days afterExternal Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj paid a day-long visitto the Southeast Asian nation. During her visit, Myanmar’s leaders had assured Swarajthat they would not allow any insurgent group to use itsterritory against India. On her part, Swaraj had conveyed toMyanmarese leaders that India was ready to extend "all help"to the new government. Htin Kyaw is coming to India at the invitation ofPresident Pranab Mukherjee. He will meet Mukherjee on Monday.PTI PYK MPBZMN