India attaches importance to Myanmar's cooperation: PM Modi to Suu Kyi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has conveyed to Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi about importance India attaches to her country's cooperation in ensuring that insurgent groups do t find to operate across India-Myanmar border.

Prime Minister Modi also conveyed to Suu Kyi about India's reiness to expand its socio-ecomic projects in country's Rakhine state, months after New Delhi implemented a housing project in restive province.

Modi me proposal during a meeting with Suu Kyi on sidelines of ASEAN summit on Sunday.

In talks, Modi also emphasised that speedy, safe and sustainable return from Banglesh of displaced people to ir homes in Rakhine State was in interests of region, displaced persons, and all three neighbouring countries -- India, Banglesh and Myanmar, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

two leers also agreed that a stable and peaceful border was an important anchor for continued expansion of bilateral partnership and that prime minister Modi emphasised value India attaches to Myanmar's cooperation in ensuring that insurgent groups do t find to operate across India-Myanmar border.

Myanmar is one of India's strategic neighbours and shares a 1,640-km-long border with a number of rastern states including militancy-hit Nagaland and Manipur.

According to security ncies, re were over 50 camps of insurgent groups from rth-east in Myanmar till last year.

armies of India and Myanmar carried out a three-week-long coordinated operation from May 16 in ir respective border areas, targeting several militant groups operating in Manipur, Nagaland and Assam.

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Defence sources said that during "Operation Sunrise 2" in May, armies coordinated with each or to bust camps of militant outfits, including Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), NSCN (Khaplang), United Liberation Front of Assam (I) and National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB).

In June 2015, Indian Army h carried out an operation against NSCN(K) militants in areas near Indo-Myanmar border, days after militants killed 18 armymen in Manipur.

In talks, Modi also emphasised that speedy, safe and sustainable return of displaced people from Banglesh to ir homes in Rakhine State was in interests of region, displaced persons, and all three neighbouring countries -- India, Banglesh and Myanmar, Ministry of External Affairs said.

An estimated 7,00,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar's Rakhine State since 2017 after large-scale violence following a military crackdown. exodus of refugees in large numbers has resulted in a major crisis in neighbouring Banglesh.

In July, India handed over to Myanmar government 250 prefabricated houses, it built in Rakhine State in an effort to encour Rohingya Muslims to return to ir homeland.

MEA said prime minister expressed India's reiness to carry out more socio-ecomic projects in Rakhine State.

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According to MEA, Suu Kyi reaffirmed importance her government attaches to partnership with India, and her appreciation of India's consistent and sustained support for widening of democracy and deepening of development in Myanmar.

In deliberations, Modi emphasised priority India attaches to Myanmar as a partner at crossros of India's Look East Policy and neighbourhood first policies.

"Towards this end, he emphasised India's continuing commitment to improve physical connectivity to and through Myanmar to Souast Asia, including through building ro, port and or infrastructure," MEA statement said.

"India would also continue to strongly support expansion of capacity for Myanmar's police, military and civil servants, as well as its students and citizens," it ded.

two leers also agreed that people to people connectivity would help expand base of partnership, and refore welcomed expansion of air connectivity between two countries, and growing interest of India's businesses in Myanmar, including India's plans to host a business event for CLMV countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam) in Yangon next month.

Modi arrived Bangkok on a three-day visit on Saturday to attend ASEAN-India, East Asia and RCEP summits. 

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