India woos Myanmar with "need-based projects", asks for more defence cooperation

As part of its Look East Policy, India today assured its eastern neighbour Myanmar of assistance in capacity building as per its needs.

Outlining India's policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a press conference said that India is currently involved in capacity building and will continue to help its neighbour in future as well to build infrastructure and institutions as per its needs.

"In future, our projects will be in sync with Myanmar's needs and the agreements signed today will strengthen our relationship," Modi said.


Modi also exhorted Myanmar for better cooperation in the security areas.

"Being neighbours, it is important for us to work together to maintain peace in our long land and sea borders," said the Prime Minister.

The PM said that India's involvment in building infrastructures in the country including roads and bridges indicate a long and better relation with the country.

Modi also announced that all Myanmar citizens visiting India will be eligible for gratis visas.

Also he said that India will soon release 40 Myanmar civilians who are being held prisioners in Indian jails.

Modi arrived in Myanmar today on the second leg of his two-nation trip during which he travelled to southeastern Chinese city Xiamen where he attended the annual BRICS summit and held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders.

This is Modi's first bilateral visit to Myanmar. He had visited the country in 2014 to attend the ASEAN-India Summit.

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.