Myanmar visit elevates ties to higher level: Myanmar's President

YANGON– The state visit of Indian President Ram Nath Kovind to Myanmar has elevated Myanmar-India friendly relations to a higher level, said Myanmar President U Win Myint. 

Speaking at a banquet hosted for his visiting Indian counterpart on Tuesday, U Win Myint said, "We highly appreciate that India attaches priority to its relations with Myanmar in its foreign relations based on the Act East Policy and the Neighborhood First Policy." 

"Myanmar's strategic proximity to India and its geographical location serving as a land bridge between India and ASEAN will complement with India's Act East Policy," he added. 

Taking the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence as one of the cornerstones of Myanmar's foreign policy, U Win Myint pledged that Myanmar would continue to work together with India for prosperity, peace and stability in the region. 

Aware of the challenges Myanmar faces in taking forward the peace process, national reconciliation and economic recovery, Ram Nath Kovind voiced support for Myanmar, saying that "the government and the people of India stand by you." 

"We are in full support of your peace process and in preserving the unity and territorial integrity of Myanmar - all of which are fundamentally in our own interest as well. Without that India cannot succeed in its efforts to bring development, prosperity and connectivity to our citizens in the Northeast which borders Myanmar." 

Kovind stressed that India's partnership with Myanmar is at the important intersection between friendship, neighborhood and shared core interest. 

Prior to the banquet, presidents of Myanmar and India met and had discussions on various issues, including promoting bilateral trade and investment, granting special quota of beans for Myanmar traders to export to India, providing assistance to Myanmar in the fields of agriculture and livestock and development of information technology. 

Following their meeting, the two top leaders witnessed the signing of two memorandums of understanding (MoU) on state-level cooperation in science and technology from 2018 to 2021 and on providing capacity building training to Myanmar judges and judiciary officers, respectively. 

On the occasion, 50 prefabricated houses out of 250 for displaced persons in Rakhine state were handed over to Myanmar's Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Ministry. 

The Indian president also met with Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, pledging India's continuing support and assistance to Myanmar's democracy transition and peace process, increasing trade and continuous cooperation in developing basic infrastructure for peace, stability along the border regions of the two countries, increased bilateral cooperation in education, health and agriculture as well as opening of a liaison office in Nay Pyi Taw in preparation for the Indian Embassy to move from Yangon to the Myanmar capital. 

Kovind's five-day Myanmar visit until Friday is the first to the country by an Indian top leader in over a decade.Enditem 
---