India, Myanmar to explore new initiatives to boost ties: PM

May 27, 2012

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New Delhi, May 27: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said India and Myanmar would explore new initiatives and define a roadmap for further boosting of bilateral ties with focus on trade, investment and connectivity as he begins a three-day visit to that country.

Pointing out that India attaches the highest importance to its relations with Myanmar, a "close friend and neighbour", Singh said in a statement shortly before his departure for Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar's new capital, that "recent years have witnessed significant strengthening and expansion of our bilateral relations" and his coming visit "will provide an opportunity to review the progress in implementation of decisions" taken during the "highly successful visit" of Myanmar President Thein Sein to India in October last year.

"We will also consider new initiatives and define a roadmap for the further development of our cooperation in the years ahead," said Singh who will be the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Myanmar in quarter of a century since Rajiv Gandhi's trip to that country in December, 1987.

The Prime Minister, who will hold talks with Sein tomorrow at Nay Pyi Taw, said that during his visit to Myanmar he hopes to focus on "stronger trade and investment links, development of border areas, improving connectivity between our two countries and building capacity and human resources".

"We also hope to sign a number of agreements and MoUs to further strengthen our bilateral cooperation in these areas, besides promoting people-to-people contacts," Singh said.

Singh, who will also meet leader of the opposition and Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in Yangon on Tuesday, said India welcomes Myanmar's "transition to democratic governance and the steps taken by the government of Myanmar towards a more broad-based and inclusive reconciliation process and offered to share "democratic experiences" with that country. Since taking office more than a year ago, President Thein Sein has surprised many critics by releasing Suu Kyi from 15 years of house arrest and allowing her National League for Democracy (NLD) to contest and win parliamentary elections in April this year, freeing other political prisoners, opening talks with ethnic rebels and easing media censorship and restoring labour unions right to strike.

Singh said he was looking forward to address a cross- section of Myanmar society and interact with the Indian and Indian-origin community in Yangon on the final day of his visit.

The Prime Minister said the "shared history and culture" of India and Myanmar "provides a strong basis for the enhancement of contacts between the people of our two countries" and India remains "committed to a close, cooperative and mutually beneficial partnership with the government and people of Myanmar".

Singh said he is looking forward to visiting the historic Shwedagon Pagoda, a testament to 2600 years of Buddhist heritage, and the mazar (the grave) of the last Emperor of India, Bahadur Shah Zafar, in Yangon.

The Pagoda houses the hairs of Lord Buddha who had given them to two merchant brothers in return for a honey cake they offered to him.

High on Singh's agenda of talks with Myanmar President Thein Sein, a former army general heading a quasi-civilian government, will be deepening ties in energy, security, connectivity, trade and information technology.

The two countries are expected to sign a number of agreements in energy sector and connectivity during the visit.

The high-points among the slew of agreements will be the ones relating to an offshore gas block awarded to private Indian company Jubilant Energy in global competition and a passenger bus service between Imphal and Mandalay, Myanmar's second largest city after Yangon.India will be flagging its interests in getting more opportunities in both offshore and onshore energy sources in Myanmar. GAIL and OVL already have minority stakes in energy sector from where the gas is being transported to China.

India expects that the visit of the Prime Minister, who will be accompanied by his wife Gursharan Kaur and External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, will take bilateral relations to a "new level" given the new political environment in Myanmar which has seen remarkable political reforms that have seen that country emerging from decades of diplomatic isolation.

As Myanmar transitions towards democracy after more than five decades of often repressive military rule, its resource- rich but impoverished economy is also opening up holding out immense potential in virtually all areas.

The Prime Minister's engagements include a public address on "India and Myanmar: A Partnership for Progress and Regional Development" where the leading think-tanks of Myanmar and the business captains of the two countries will be present.

Reflecting the importance of the economic content of the bilateral relations, a group of captains Indian business and industries representing energy, telecom, IT, steel and agriculture sectors will be in Myanmar during Singh's visit.

As the gateway to South East Asia, Myanmar has been of considerable strategic significance to India and central to its Look East policy, given its energy reserves, and 1640km border with insurgency-hit four northeastern states--Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.

Security concerns have prompted New Delhi to remain engaged with the military junta in Myanmar despite criticism from Western countries. During a visit to New Delhi in 2010, President Barrack Obama had chided India for not speaking out over human rights abuses in Myanmar.

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News Network
October 21,2024

khalistan.jpg

Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on Monday warned passengers not to fly on Air India flights from November 1 to 19. He asserted that an attack could take place on an Air India flight during the specified dates, which coincide with the "40th anniversary of the Sikh genocide".

The founder of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), who holds dual citizenship in Canada and the US, had issued a similar threat around the same time last year.

Pannun's fresh threat comes amid several airlines in India receiving multiple threat calls about potential bombings, all of which turned out to be hoaxes. It also occurred at a time when India and Canada are engaged in a murky diplomatic row following Canada's allegations of India targeting Khalistani elements in the country, including the murder of another terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

In November 2023, Pannun released a video claiming that Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport would be renamed and would remain closed on November 19, warning people against flying on Air India that day. The National Investigation Agency charged him with criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, and various offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

In December last year, Pannun threatened to attack the Parliament on or before December 13, following reports of an alleged foiled plot to kill him. December 13 marks the anniversary of the terrorist attack on the Parliament in 2001.

He also threatened to kill Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Director General of State Police Gaurav Yadav on Republic Day this year. He also urged gangsters to unite and launch an attack on Mann on January 26.

Pannun has been designated a terrorist by the Ministry of Home Affairs since July 2020 on charges of sedition and secessionism, as he leads SFJ, a group advocating for a separate sovereign Sikh state. A year prior to this, India banned SFJ as an "unlawful association" for engaging in "anti-national and subversive" activities.

In another development, on October 17, the United States charged a former officer of India's spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) for allegedly directing a foiled plot to murder Pannun, a charge New Delhi has rejected as baseless allegations.

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News Network
October 27,2024

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav stated on Sunday, October 27, that his party is prepared to contest the Maharashtra Assembly elections independently if the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) does not include them in the alliance. 

Yadav assured that the SP would only contest in constituencies where it has a strong organizational presence and would ensure its participation does not affect the MVA’s overall prospects.

Several I.N.D.I.A. alliance members have expressed dissatisfaction with the Congress over seat-sharing arrangements in upcoming state polls. 

Both the CPI(ML)L and the RJD voiced frustration after being offered only 3-4 seats each for the Jharkhand elections by the Congress.

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