India provides 10 lakh vax, 10,000 tonnes of rice, wheat to Myanmar
Naypyidaw (Myanmar): India has provided 10 lakh doses of Made in India' coronavirus vaccines and a grant of 10,000 tonnes of rice and wheat to Myanmar as part of its continued humanitarian support for the neighbouring country, the External Affairs Ministry said
on Thursday. Shringla handed over the vaccines to the Myanmar Red Cross Society on Wednesday. Emphasising that India shares a long border with Myanmar, Foreign Secretary conveyed India's continued humanitarian support for the people of Myanmar. In the context of Myanmar's fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, he handed over one million doses of "Made in India vaccines to the Myanmar Red Cross
Society, the ministry said in a statement.
A part of this consignment would be utilised for communities living along Myanmar's border with India. A grant of 10,000 tonnes of rice and wheat to Myanmar was also announced, it said.
During his two-day visit beginning on Wednesday, Shringla called on the Chairman, State Administrative Council General Min Aung Hlaing and other senior representatives and held meetings with members of civil society and political parties, including the National League for Democracy. Shringla expressed India's continued support for people-centric socio-economic developmental projects, including those along with the India-Myanmar border areas, as well as India's commitment for expeditious implementation of ongoing connectivity initiatives such as the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project and the Trilateral Highway.
The Foreign Secretary also reiterated India's commitment to continue with the projects under the Rakhine State Development Programme and Border Area Development Programme for the benefit of the people of Myanmar.
India shares an approximately 1700-km-long border with Myanmar. Any developments in that country have a direct impact on India's bordering regions. Peace and stability in Myanmar remain of utmost importance to India, specifically to its North Eastern Region, the statement said.
Meanwhile, Shringla has raised matters relating to India's security with Myanmar's State Administration Council as he made the first high-level outreach to the military junta here during which he emphasised New Delhi's interest in seeing the country's early return to democracy as well as the release of detainees and complete cessation of all violence.
Shringla is here on a two-day working visit, in the first such high-level outreach from India after Myanmar's military deposed the democratically-elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup on February 1.
The powerful State Administration Council (SAC) is headed by General Min Aung Hlaing, who seized power in February. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Foreign Secretary Shringla called on the Chairman, SAC and other senior representatives and held meetings with members of civil society and political parties, including the National League for Democracy.
During his meetings, the Foreign Secretary emphasised India's interest in seeing Myanmar's return to democracy at the earliest; release of detainees and prisoners; resolution of issues through dialogue; and complete cessation of all violence, it said in a statement.
He reaffirmed India's strong and consistent support to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) initiative and expressed hope that progress would be made in a pragmatic and constructive manner, based on the five point consensus, the MEA said.
