Army Chief meets Suu Kyi, military leaders in Myanmar

NEW DELHI: Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat, on a four-day visit to Myanmar, today met the country's iconic leader Aung San Suu Kyi and held talks with the top military leadership to boost defence and security cooperation between the two countries.

He also met Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Commander- in-Chief of Defence Services.

Gen Rawat inspected a Guard of Honour accompanied by Senior General Soe Win, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar Armed Forces.

Myanmar is one of India's strategic neighbours and shares a 1,640-km-long border with a number of northeastern states including militancy-hit Nagaland and Manipur.

"This visit is yet another milestone to reach out to our neighbourhood in the field of defence cooperation and build upon existing mutual cooperation and trust between the two nations," the Defence Ministry had said in a statement.

General Rawat is also likely to address student officers of National Defence College which is a premier institution grooming the future senior leadership of Myanmar defence services. He is also scheduled to visit Defence Services Academy in Pwin Oo Lwin.

Myanmar's President Htin Kyaw had visited India in August last year during which the two countries had agreed to step up bilateral coordination between border guarding forces to ensure security in the areas along the border.

India has been concerned over some militant groups from the Northeast region taking shelter in Myanmar. The country has been assuring India that it would not allow any insurgent group to use its territory against India.