KOLKATA: The ongoing India- Myanmar Thailand Trilateral Highway project between Thailand and India is expected to be ready in three to four years as per deliberations in the three-day BIMSTEC Business Conclave 2023 that kicked off on Tuesday.
“99 per cent of the four lane expressway which will be based in Thailand is already complete. Now, a lot depends on the Indian and the Myanmar governments on how fast the project can be completed,”HE Vijavat Isarabhakdi, Vice-Minister, Foreign Affairs, Government of Thailand said on the sidelines of the conclave hosted by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Kolkata.
One third of the 1,360-km long highway is located in Thailand. The highway will connect Moreh in India with Mae Sot in Thailand via Myanmar. The 160-km long India-Myanmar Friendship road linking Moreh-Tamu-Kalmeya-Kalewa is also a part of this trilateral highway. The highway’s Imphal-Moreh portion on the Indian side is expected to be completed by the end 2023. Aung Naing, Minister of Commerce, Government of Myanmar, expressed his optimism of completing the portion that will pass through Myanmar in another three years.
The road will improve trade and commerce in the ASEAN–India Free Trade Area, as well as with the rest of Southeast Asia. Thailand proposed the idea of setting up a business advisory council that would serve as a platform for the private sector of BIMSTEC nations where each member state can interact with one another for enhancing trade and investment cooperation. Thailand’s chairmanship will culminate after the sixth summit of BIMSTEC in Bangkok in November, after which Bangladesh will hold the chair.
Shashi Panja, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Bengal focussed on the state’s commitment to fortify industrial and logistical infrastructure, as well as the proposed development plans, such as the deep-sea port and transportation projects: “Agriculture has enormous potential. We can harness the full potential of the agricultural sector by developing organic farming, food security, and sustainable farming practices. Medical facilities and research institutions in Bengal serve the expanding medical needs of our state as well as bordering nations like Bangladesh. To ensure competent health services across the area, we can improve healthcare research, training initiatives, and the exchange of best practices,” she added.