Insurgency free NE border:Myanmar

Insurgency free NE border:Myanmar
2009-02-07 05:09:50 - Myanmar which shares border with the north-eastern states of Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland,visiting Vice President of India Hamid raised security issue due to increased insurgency during a meeting with Gen Maung Aye, the number two in ruling military regime on Thursday.Aye said Myanmar not to allow its soil to be used by NE insurgents.

On the second day of his four-day visit to Myanmar, Ansari held "extremely comprehensive" talks with the head of military junta Gen Than Shwe at Nay Pyi Taw on Friday after which the two countries took "concrete decisions" to enhance cooperation in security, hydrocarbon and power sectors and agreed to widen its ambit to agriculture and railways.

At the delegation-level talks
between the two sides, which followed a brief one-to-one meeting between Ansari and Gen Aye on Thursday, the Myanmarese side acknowledged India's security concerns but conveyed that the north-east insurgents would not be permitted to use its territory to target India, sources said.Since India began engaging the Myanmarese military junta, there has been cooperation between security forces of the two countries in flushing out the north-eastern insurgents.Myanmar's assurance regarding north-eastern insurgents assumed significance as India, which had kept the military junta at arms length for a long time after the 1988 crackdown on pro-democracy protests, changed tack when it found its security interests in north-eastern states were in jeopardy.

"We have taken concrete decisions on how to enhance economic cooperation in the areas of hydrocarbon, security and power," Ansari told journalists accompanying him on board Air India's special aircraft on his way from Myanmar's administrative capital at Nay Pyi Taw to the country's business hub Yangon after talks with Gen Shwe.He, however, did not specify what the decisions were."I had extremely fruitful and extremely comprehensive discussions covering the entire gamut of bilateral relations with Vice Senior Gen Maung Aye and Senior General Than Shwe. All bilateral issues were discussed," Ansari said wrapping up the most substantive part of his four-day visit to Myanmar after arriving at Nay Pyi Taw on Thursday.

The Vice President said the two countries have resolved to move further ahead expeditiously for the economic cooperation.Ansari's remarks about "concrete decisions" came after his talks with Gen Shwe that went on for more than an hour as against the scheduled time of half an hour. "Concrete decisions" on India, Myanmar cooperation: Ansari

India and Myanmar have taken "concrete decisions" to enhance cooperation in security, hydrocarbon and power sectors and decided to widen its ambit to agriculture and railways.
Vice President Hamid Ansari held "extremely comprehensive" talks with the head of the country's military junta Gen Than Shwe on Friday.
"We have taken concrete decisions on how to enhance economic cooperation in the areas of hydrocarbon, security and power," Ansari told journalists accompanying him on board Air India's special aircraft on his way from Myanmar's administrative capital here to the country's business hub Yangon after talks with Gen Shwe. He, however, did not specify what the decisions were.
"I had extremely fruitful and extremely comprehensive discussions covering the entire gamut of bilateral relations with Vice Senior Gen Maung Aye and Senior General Than Shwe.
All bilateral issues were discussed," Ansari said wrapping up the most substantive part of his four-day visit to Myanmar after arriving in Myanmar on Thursday.
The Vice President said the two countries have resolved to move further ahead expeditiously for the economic cooperation.
Ansari's remarks about "concrete decisions" came after his talks with Gen Shwe that went on for more than an hour as against the scheduled time of half an hour.Besides hydrocarbon, security, power and telecom sectors, the Myanmar military ruler is understood to have raised the issue of India's assistance in toning up his country's infrastructure sector, particularly in road construction where India already has a presence.Several ministers of Myanmar cabinet were also present at the meeting between Ansari and Gen Shwe which came a day after the Vice President held talks with Gen Maung Aye, the number two in ruling military regime.
At the meeting between Ansari and Aye on Thursday, Myanmar had assured India that it will not allow its territory to be used by northeastern Indian insurgents for targetting India.The assurance came after the security issue was raised by India at the delegation-level talks headed by Ansari and Gen Aye in the midst of media reports that some of the insurgent groups are shifting their bases from Bangladesh following the return of Sheikha Hasina-led government to Bhutan and Myanmar.Myanmar and India have also identified two new areas of cooperation - agriculture and railway. Myanmar sought India's assistance in agriculture and farm technology and in strengthening its railway network expressing keen interest to buy locomotives.Gen Maung Aye, with whom Ansari had extensive discussions covering all aspects of bilateral relations on Thursday, noted the great progress made by India in the field of agriculture and farm technology and wanted cooperation in this area, Special Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, Vivek Katju said.

The officials of the two countries will now get down to identifying specific areas of cooperation in agriculture, Katju told Indian journalists accompanying the Vice President in Myanmar on Thursday night.
"We have to work out plans for specific areas of cooperation in agriculture," said Indian Ambassador to Myanmar, Aloke Sen.

Author:
Naresh Sagar
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