NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Tuesday said the security interest of India and Myanmar were intertwined and his country was for expanding the cooperation with the neighbour to more areas.
In a media statement after talks with visiting Foreign Minister of Mynamar Wunna Maung Lwin, Mr Krishna said the two countries have very old trade and civilisational links.
Referring to his visit to Myanmar last year, Mr Krsihna said during that visit which was one of the first perhaps by any foreign minister after the democratically elected civilian government took over, he had invited Mr Lwin to make a stand alone visit to India.
The External Affairs Minister emphasised that relationship with Myanmar was very important for India and it wanted to see furher expansion of its ties.
The Myanmarese Foreign Minister in his remarks also spoke of his country’s focus on strenghthening and enhancing political security and socio-economic development in the two countries.
He also showed appreciation of the Indian gesture in sending its Foreign Minister to his country soon after the installaton of the civilian government there.
Mynamar has already given an assurance that it would never allow insurgents to use its territory to engage in any hostile activities against neighbour India. This asurance was given when Home Secretray visited the country last week.
Both sides discussed in detail security related issues like presence of Indian Insurgent Groups (IIGs) along Indo-Myanmar border, exchange of intelligence information and arms smuggling. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is also expected to visit Myanmar in May.
Sources said in May, Myanmar would hold the meeting of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit meeting, which might be attended by Dr Singh.
Energy resource rich Myanmar has 1,640 km-long unfenced border with India. (UNI)