India to help modernise Myanmar Army and Navy to broad-base defence partnership

News:

• Myanmar, considered one of India’s strategic neighbours, shares a 1,640-km-long border with a number of northeastern states including insurgency hit Manipur.
• Myanmar is India’s gateway to Southeast Asia and key to Modi government’s Act East policy, under which India now wants to conclude the pending development projects at a fast pace.
• Delhi is ready to assist creating a modern national army for Myanmar besides assistance in building the country’s Navy.
• The decision to expand military cooperation and effective border management was taken at the maiden Joint Consultative Commission Meeting co-chaired by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Myanmarese counterpart Wunna Maung Lwin.
• India has been supplying Myanmarese Army with defence equipment including rifles and tanks in the past, the current decision hopes to launch a comprehensive cooperation on the lines of India’s defence partnership with Nepal, Bhutan and too an extent with Afghanistan.
• India and Myanmar also decided to increase maritime security cooperation in Bay of Bengal.
• The two countries have also decided to broad base cooperation for effective border management with an eye on combatting cross-border insurgency.

Source: ET