India, Myanmar ink deal to jointly combat cross-border insurgency and criminal activities

NEW DELHI: India has concluded an umbrella boundary agreement with Myanmar to jointly combat cross-border insurgency and criminal activities, a breakthrough that comes even as the land boundary agreement with another neighbour, Bangladesh, has got mired in domestic politics.

The agreement piloted by the external affairs ministry and encompassing both land and maritime boundary will be the focus of attention during the ongoing visit of Myanmar’s Army chief General Min Aung Hlaing.

The visiting army chief will also meet President Pranab Mukherjee, besides meeting his Indian counterpart Bikram Singh and Defence Minister AK Antony, an unusual honour that officials said would be accorded due to the growing bilateral defence relations.

India and Myanmar share a 1,600-km-long land boundary along Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur and Agartala, besides maritime boundary.

Most of the land boundary with Myanmar is now demarcated, officials said.