PM Modi reaches Myanmar for first bilateral visit, to meet Suu Kyi tomorrow

Modi is scheduled to call on Myanmar President Htin Kyaw, who will host a banquet for him later in the day. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister will hold wide-ranging talks with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. Earlier, Modi had said India and Myanmar will look at strengthening existing cooperation in areas of security and counter-terrorism, trade and investment, infrastructure and energy, and culture.

Landed in Naypyitaw, marking the start of my Myanmar visit. I will join a wide range of programmes during my visit to Myanmar. pic.twitter.com/xZEhAvKzpv

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 5, 2017

Being one of India’s strategic neighbours, Myanmar shares a 1,640-km-long border with a number of northeastern states, including militancy-hit Nagaland and Manipur. Modi had visited Myanmar in 2014 to attend the ASEAN-India Summit, while the Myanmarese president and Suu Kyi had visited India last year.

Modi had also said he was looking forward to paying a visit to the famed heritage city of Bagan, where the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has done a “stellar work” in renovating the Ananda Temple. The ASI will be undertaking further restoration work on a number of pagodas and murals that were ruined in last year’s earthquake.

His visit will culminate in the city of Yangon. He will also interact with the Indian community in Myanmar.

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Modi’s visit come at a time when the country is reeling under a volatile security situation as Myanmar is witnessing a mass exodus of Rohingyas to nearby Bangladesh. A sizeable part of the community has also taken refuge in India as well. It is expected that the talks will touch upon these issues as well.

With PTI inputs