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Jaswant Singh to visit Burma next m



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Jaswant Singh to visit Burma next month

By P.Jayaram
>From The Asian Age Newspaper

New Delhi, Dec. 9: The growing cooperation between India and Burma will
be carried forward when external affairs minister Jaswant Singh visits
Rangoon in the New Year, despite criticism of New Delhi's moves by that
country's fledgling pro-democracy movement.

"The external affairs minister will visit Burma early next year, though
the dates are still to be finalized," ministry spokesman Raminder Singh
Jassal told IANS. Official sources said the visit was likely in January.

He said Jaswant Singh would take part in the inauguration of the 160-km
road linking the border township of Tamu in Burma with Manipur with the
railhead at Kalemyo. The road, built by Border Roads Organization and
said to be almost complete, will serve as a vital communication link
with Mandalay in Burma and in course of time become part of the proposed
Trans-Asian Highway.

Mr. Singh's visit takes place close on the heels of a high-profile visit
by General Maung Aye, vice chairman of the ruling State Peace and
Development Council, the number two man in the military junta, to India
at the invitation of vice-president Krishan Kant. The Burmese leader was
accompanied by a high-level delegation that included the second
secretary of the SPDC, Lt. Gen. Tin Oo, deputy prime minister and
minister for military affairs Lt. Gen. Tin Hla and five senior
ministers.

The growing warmth in ties between India and Burma, despite New Delhi's
known sympathy for that country's pro-democracy movement led by the
charismatic Aung San Suu Kyi, is seen by Indian observers as a
reflection of New Delhi's conscious decision to give paramount
importance to its national security interests and regional engagement as
part of its "Look East" policy.

"We are not unmindful of the political developments in Burma," Mr.
Jassal said but added that New Delhi was against delivering
"prescriptive lectures" to other countries.

Cooperation with the Burmese regime has already paid dividends as that
country's Army had helped in destroying a number of camps of anti-Indian
insurgents operating from across the border. Before New Delhi chose
pragmatism in the pursuit of national security interests, insurgency and
narcotics smuggling had assumed alarming proportions in the border
states of Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.

New Delhi was also concerned by the growing influence of China, which,
taking advantage of Rangoon's international isolation, had moved in with
substantial economic and military assistance.

Mr. Maung and his delegation succeeded in allaying some of New Delhi's
fears when they assured the Indian leadership during his visit that
Burma would not allow its territory for anti-Indian activities.

But New Delhi has gained potential economic dividends too for its Burma
policy.

Apart from the road project, the two sides are also discussing
cross-border projects in hydroelectric, river navigation and gas
pipeline sectors and Indian assistance to develop a deep water port in
Burma.

(India Abroad News Service)



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<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en">
<html>
<font face="Arial Black">Jaswant Singh to visit Burma next month</font>
<p>By P.Jayaram
<br>From The Asian Age Newspaper
<p>New Delhi, Dec. 9: The growing cooperation between India and Burma will
be carried forward when external affairs minister Jaswant Singh visits
Rangoon in the New Year, despite criticism of New Delhi's moves by that
country's fledgling pro-democracy movement.
<p>"The external affairs minister will visit Burma early next year, though
the dates are still to be finalized," ministry spokesman Raminder Singh
Jassal told IANS. Official sources said the visit was likely in January.
<p>He said Jaswant Singh would take part in the inauguration of the 160-km
road linking the border township of Tamu in Burma with Manipur with the
railhead at Kalemyo. The road, built by Border Roads Organization and said
to be almost complete, will serve as a vital communication link with Mandalay
in Burma and in course of time become part of the proposed Trans-Asian
Highway.
<p>Mr. Singh's visit takes place close on the heels of a high-profile visit
by General Maung Aye, vice chairman of the ruling State Peace and Development
Council, the number two man in the military junta, to India at the invitation
of vice-president Krishan Kant. The Burmese leader was accompanied by a
high-level delegation that included the second secretary of the SPDC, Lt.
Gen. Tin Oo, deputy prime minister and minister for military affairs Lt.
Gen. Tin Hla and five senior ministers.
<p>The growing warmth in ties between India and Burma, despite New Delhi's
known sympathy for that country's pro-democracy movement led by the charismatic
Aung San Suu Kyi, is seen by Indian observers as a reflection of New Delhi's
conscious decision to give paramount importance to its national security
interests and regional engagement as part of its "Look East" policy.
<p>"We are not unmindful of the political developments in Burma," Mr. Jassal
said but added that New Delhi was against delivering "prescriptive lectures"
to other countries.
<p>Cooperation with the Burmese regime has already paid dividends as that
country's Army had helped in destroying a number of camps of anti-Indian
insurgents operating from across the border. Before New Delhi chose pragmatism
in the pursuit of national security interests, insurgency and narcotics
smuggling had assumed alarming proportions in the border states of Mizoram,
Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
<p>New Delhi was also concerned by the growing influence of China, which,
taking advantage of Rangoon's international isolation, had moved in with
substantial economic and military assistance.
<p>Mr. Maung and his delegation succeeded in allaying some of New Delhi's
fears when they assured the Indian leadership during his visit that Burma
would not allow its territory for anti-Indian activities.
<p>But New Delhi has gained potential economic dividends too for its Burma
policy.
<p>Apart from the road project, the two sides are also discussing cross-border
projects in hydroelectric, river navigation and gas pipeline sectors and
Indian assistance to develop a deep water port in Burma.
<p>(India Abroad News Service)
<p>&nbsp;</html>

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