SHILLONG: The first ever India-Myanmar exercise based on the UN Peace Keeping Model started at Joint Warfare Centre in Umroi Cantonment on Monday with an aim to build and promote closer relations and exchange skills and experiences between the two armies.
Sixteen officers from the Indian Army and 15 from its Myanmar counterpart are taking part in the six-day India-Myanmar Bilateral Army Exercise (IMBAX), which is slated to go on till Saturday.
Maj. Gen. PS Behl, GOC, Red Horns division said India is a major contributor to peace-keeping and it has varied experience in peace-keeping missions.
“Myanmar, which is relatively new to the mission, wants to participate in these operations and has come to learn and train with us,” he said.
Terming the bilateral relationship between the two armies as “strong”, Behl said the Myanmar and the Indian armies “are the best of friends and have been training earlier as well”.
“We hope to continue with our bilateral training and cooperation in various phases,” he added.
He said the aim of the exercise is to train the Myanmar army to participate in UN operations either as individuals or as members of the contingent.
Colonel Aung Kyaw Htun, who is leading the Myanmarese contingent, said the joint military exercise would benefit the Myanmar army. “This is the first India-Myanmar military exercise. We will learn more from them (Indian Army) and we hope to have similar exercises with our friends from the Indian Army in Myanmar,” said Htun, who also heads the department of strategic studies of the Myanmar army.