Indias Act East and neighborhood First policy; President on Myanmar Visit

"Through this visit, the president will reaffirm India's commitment to developing its important partnership with Myanmar. This is a country where India's Act East and Neighbourhood First policies intersect. It is also the only ASEAN member state that is both a land and maritime neighbor of India," an official statement from Ministry of External Affairs said.

President Ramnath Kovind will be on a visit to Myanmar from 10 December to 14th December.

During which he will hold talks with his counterpart U Win Myint and state counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Several agreements are expected to be signed during the visit, said in the statement.

In the past three years, political, economic and defense ties with Myanmar have been on the upswing with the visits of top leaders to the respective countries.

 

India is the largest market for Burmese exports, buying about US$ 220 million worth of goods in 2000; India's exports to Burma stood at US$75.36 million. India is Burma’s 4th largest trading partner after Thailand, China and Singapore, and the second largest export market after Thailand, absorbing 25 percent of its total exports.

On 13 February 2001 India and Burma inaugurated 250-kilometer Tamu-Kalewa-Kalemyo highway, popularly called the Indo-Myanmar Friendship Road, built mainly by the Indian Army's Border Roads Organisation.