India is trying to boost economic ties with resource-rich Myanmar, with which it shares a 1,600-km long border, to counter Chinese influence and step up links with a country it considers its gateway to Southeast Asia.

India has offered on Wednesday, Sept 6, to spur development in Myanmar’s troubled Rakhine province, one of the poorest and least connected areas and home to over a million Rohingya Muslims, even as the two countries condemned extremist violence as the biggest threat to peace and stability.
A joint statement issued at the end of PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Myanmar and his talks with state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi said India would help to “bring about overall socio-economic development in the state by undertaking both infrastructure and socio-economic projects”.
While Modi supported the Myanmar government in its efforts to contain extremist violence, India also impressed upon the need for economic development of Rakhine province in the context of security.
The statement said India will work on projects in areas of “education, health, agriculture and allied activities, agro-processing, community development, construction of small bridges, upgradation of roads, small power projects, livelihood activity, setting up of training centres, promotion of household crafts, conservation of environment and cultural heritage”.
The statement says, “Myanmar welcomed India’s offer of assistance under the Rakhine State Development Programme and the two sides agreed to finalise the implementation modalities within the next few months.”
Myanmar welcomed India’s offer of assistance under the Rakhine State Development Programme and the two sides agreed to finalise the implementation modalities within the next few months.”
To make up for India’s past record of delivering infrastructure projects, the government promised the Myanmarese leadership that the trilateral highway and current road projects would be completed in a couple of years.
India has also jumped into development of a number of new projects including an airport in Pakokku which Airports Authority of India will help develop.
In his speech, Modi announced gratis visas to all Myanmar citizens visiting India. India also released 40 Myanmarese citizens from jails in India.
The two sides finalised an agreement on border crossing “which will help in regulating and harmonising movement of people across the common land border” and help start a bus service between Imphal and Mandalay.
Earlier, Modi and Suu Kyi discussed the security situation prevailing along the borders of the two countries nd expressed concern at various incidents of terrorism and extremist-inspired violence that have taken place in their countries. The two sides agreed that the fight against terror should also identify, hold accountable and take strong measures against states and entities that support or finance terrorism and provide sanctuary to terror groups.
Myanmar has condemned the recent terror attack during the Amarnath Yatra, while India condemned the attacks in Rakhine in which several members of the Myanmar forces were killed.

Myanmar welcomed India’s offer of assistance under the Rakhine State Development Programme and the two sides agreed to finalise the implementation modalities within the next few months.”

India is trying to boost economic ties with resource-rich Myanmar, with which it shares a 1,600-km long border, to counter Chinese influence and step up links with a country it considers its gateway to Southeast Asia.
Two-way trade has grown to about $2.2 billion as India courts Myanmar following the gradual end of military rule, but Indian-funded projects have moved slowly. India recently started exporting diesel to Myanmar via a land route, in a boost to Modi’s pledge to enhance hydrocarbon trade with neighbours.
INDIA SHARES MYANMAR’S CONCERNS
After his talks with Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India shared Myanmar’s concern about “extremist violence” in its Rakhine state.
Myanmar has come under international pressure after some 125,000 Rohingya Muslims fled from a surge of violence in Rakhine state, beginning with an Aug 25 attack by Rohingya insurgents on dozens of police posts and an army base.
Suu Kyi told a joint news conference at the presidential palace in the capital, Naypyitaw, that Myanmar was grateful for India’s stance on the attack on her country and they could work together to face the challenge.
“We would like to thank India particularly for its strong stand that it has taken with regard to terrorist threat that came to our country a couple of weeks ago,” she said.
“We believe that together we can work to make sure that terrorism is not allowed to take root on our soil.”
Modi said India and Myanmar had similar security interests in the region.
“We share your concerns about extremist violence in Rakhine state and specially the violence against security forces and how innocent lives have been affected,” he said.
“We hope that all the stakeholders together can find a way out in which the unity and territorial integrity of Myanmar is respected and at the same time we can have peace, justice dignity and democratic values for all.”
Modi’s government has taken a strong stance on an influx into India of some 40,000 Rohingya from Myanmar over the years, vowing last month to deport them all.

• from media reports