PM leaves for Myanmar on Monday to attend BIMSTEC Summit

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh leaves for Myanmar on Monday to attend the BIMSTEC Summit with an eye on giving a boost to India's Look East policy, focus on increasing connectivity that will benefit the north-east and enhance cooperation in counter-terrorism.

Singh is also expected to lay emphasis on comprehensive development of transport, tourism besides environment and disaster management at the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation(BIMSTEC) Summit on March 4.

One cannot understimate the potential of BIMSTEC on bringing trade, transport, tourism and other linkages to all states of India's north east region, Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh told reporters here.

"It is in our interest to make sure that our north east does not fall behind and it develops in such a manner that it is commensurate with its potential," she said.

Asked about the prospects of the the grouping comprising India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan and Nepal, firming up a free trade pact, Singh said the process was "complex" and will take some time.

"FTA negotiations are processes that take time. And BIMSTEC negotiation is particularly complex because it already encompasses countries which have FTA under the SAFTA...We have to arrive at an outcome that is optimal for India...This is going to take some time," she said.