Nay Pyi Taw, Dec 11 (UNI) India and Myanmar on Tuesday inked two Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in judicial training and science and technology, infusing further dynamism into their bilateral relationship.
India also handed over the first batch of 50 housing units of the 250 houses it is building in Myanmar’s Rakhine province as part of a developmental project.
President Ram Nath Kovind held delegation level talks with Myanmar President U Win Myint and both leaders witnessed signing of the MoUs.
The first agreement signed on Tuesday is between the National Judicial Academy of India and the Office of the Union Chief Justice of Myanmar for training and capacity building of judges and judicial officers in Myanmar.
The other is an agreement for Cooperation in Science and Technology between the Department of Science and Technology of India with the Department of Research and Innovation, Ministry of Education, Myanmar.
President Kovind also met State Counsellor, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at the Presidential Palace.
The two leaders discussed various bilateral and multilateral issues.
Myanmar is a country where India’s “Act East” and “Neighbourhood First” policies intersect. Through this visit, the president reaffirmed India's commitment to to developing its partnership with Myanmar, said Ambassador Vikram Misri.
Coinciding with Kovind’s visit, and to further people-to-people relations, Myanmar announced a visa-on-arrival facility for Indian tourists entering the country through the international airports of Nay Pyi Taw, Yangon and Mandalay.
Myanmar is India's gateway to South East Asia, and the two countries have broadened the ambit of multifaceted bilateral cooperation across diverse sectors such as defence and security, and renewable energy.
Kovind said that residents of Northeast have particularly welcomed and are beginning to reap the benefits of the Land-border Crossing Agreement concluded recently. They look forward to the early conclusion of the Motor Vehicles Agreement.
The presidential visit is expected to maintain the momentum generated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit in September 2017 and Suu Kyi's visit to New Delhi in January this year.
The president will inaugurate the 5th Enterprise India Show in Yangon on Thursday. This show comes at a time when Myanmar is carrying out economic reforms, opening up opportunities in trade and investment sector.
"We understand that this is a particularly challenging time for Myanmar. India is in full support of the objectives of the National Peace Process," said the president.
UNI SRJ