Sub-regional Dimension

Myanmar’s membership of ASEAN, BIMSTEC and Mekong Ganga Cooperation has introduced a regional/sub-regional dimension to bilateral relations and imparted added significance in the context of our “Act East” policy. Myanmar has generally been supportive of India’s stand to various international organisations. For our part, India has supported Myanmar’s association with SAARC as an observer; Myanmar formally acquired such status in 2008.

India-Myanmar-Thailand Friendship Highway

  • Conceived at an IMT Trilateral Ministerial meeting in Yangon in 2002, the crux of this trilateral relationship centers around the construction of a 1,360 km highway from Moreh-Tamu on the India-Myanmar border to Mae Sot on the Myanmar-Thailand border.
  • The 2017 Indo-Myanmar joint statement mentioned that construction work would shortly begin on reconstruction of bridges on the Tamu-Kyigone-Kalewa Road and on the Kalewa-Yargyi sector of the Trilateral Highway.
  • The deadline has now been set for 2020.
  • It is important to note that the project already missed its first deadline in 2015 and India has consistently faced difficulty in implementing its projects in Myanmar.

ASEAN

Myanmar became a member of ASEAN in July 1997. As the only ASEAN country which shares a land border with India, Myanmar is a bridge between India and ASEAN. A few proposals for cooperation have been implemented and some are under discussions with Myanmar within the framework of ASEAN’s IAI programme.

BIMSTEC

Myanmar became a member of BIMSTEC in December 1997. Myanmar is a signatory to the BIMSTEC Free Trade Agreement. Myanmar is the lead country for the energy sector. Myanmar trades mostly with Thailand and India in the BIMSTEC region.

Mekong Ganga Cooperation

Myanmar is a member of the Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) since its inception in November 2000. MGC is an initiative by six countries – India and five ASEAN countries namely, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam – for cooperation in the fields of tourism, education, culture, transport and communication.

SAARC: Myanmar was given the status of observer in SAARC in August 2008.

India-Myanmar Friendship Road

  • Among the several projects, completion of the 160-km India-Myanmar Friendship Road (also known as Moreh-Tamu Road) in 2001 on Myanmar territory, connecting Kalewa, Kalemyo and Tamu with Moreh, was imperative for sub-regional integration between two countries.
  • Tamu (Sagaing Division, Myanmar) is the border area on Myanmar side, only 5 km from the Indian border point, Moreh (Manipur, India). With grant-aid from the Government of India, Kaly-Tamu Road was completely upgraded and opened in February 2001. Tamu-Kyigone-Kalemyo section of about 82 miles and 4 furlongs was completed in September 2009.
  • Kyigone-Kalewa section of about 17 miles and 4 furlongs has been under maintenance by the Indian side. This Friendship Road became one of the major parts of the Trilateral Highway project linking India-Myanmar-Thailand under the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation Initiative, 2005.

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