By OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
New Delhi, April 2: India and Burma on Wednesday signed the agreement and two protocols of the Kaladan multi-modal transit transport project. The pact was inked in the presence of vice-president Hamid Ansari and visiting vice-senior-general Maung Aye of Burma.
Vice-senior-general Maung Aye, who is the vice-chairman of the State Peace and Development Council, arrived here in the morning for a five-day visit to India. He is leading a high-level delegation, including members of the business community.
The Kaladan project will facilitate shipment of goods to and from Sittwe, from where the goods can be sent to and received via road from the Northeastern Indian states. It will obviate the need for transiting through Bangladesh. It will involve the development of Sittwe port and construction of a road linking Kalewa in Burma to the border town of Moreh in the Northeastern region of India.
India and Burma signed a double taxation avoidance agreement on the occasion. Both sides agreed to take steps to open up the existing border points in the Northeast states for regular trade.
Vice-senior-general Maung Aye is Burma’s second-highest ranking military leader, after Senior-general Than Shwe. He and his wife Mya Mya San are visiting India at the invitation of the vice-president.
The delegation-level talks between the Burmese general and vice-president Ansari centred around economic cooperation, connectivity, security and energy. Burma’s roadmap for a new constitution, referendum in May and elections in 2010 also came up for a mention. Vice-president Ansari reiterated India’s support to the efforts of UN Secretary-General’s special envoy, Prof Ibrahim Gambari and conveyed that India did not believe that sanctions were helpful and that it may well prove to be counterproductive. Calling Burma as a natural bridge between Asean and Saarc, the vice-president reiterated, the mutual desire of India and Burma to build on the commonalties and synergies between the two countries.
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