EAM Jaishankar Meets Myanmar Foreign Minister; Discusses Trilateral Highway Project

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with Myanmar's Foreign Minister Than Swe in Bangkok, where they discussed accelerating various projects, particularly the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway. They emphasised the importance of ensuring peace and stability in the border regions. Jaishankar, who was visiting Thailand after his trip to Indonesia, had the meeting with the Myanmar foreign minister on the sidelines of the Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Mechanism meeting. 

Jaishankar mentioned in a tweet that their discussions centred on connectivity initiatives with regional significance, which would also be addressed during the MGC meeting. He stressed the need to expedite projects that have faced challenges, particularly the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway, which has been a difficult endeavour due to the situation in Myanmar. The Indian government prioritises finding ways to resume the project. 

The trilateral highway, spanning approximately 1,400 kilometres, aims to establish a land connection between India, Thailand, and Myanmar, enhancing trade, business, healthcare, education, and tourism ties among the three countries. About 70 per cent of the construction work on this ambitious project has been completed, but it has experienced delays. The original plan was to make the highway operational by December 2019. 

In his discussions with Than Swe, Jaishankar highlighted the importance of peace and stability in the border areas. He expressed concern over recent disturbances and urged avoiding actions that could worsen the situation. He also raised concerns about human and drug trafficking and called for stronger cooperation among relevant parties to facilitate the early return of trafficked victims. 

As India's immediate neighbour, Jaishankar conveyed India's concern about the humanitarian situation in Myanmar. He proposed people-centric initiatives to address the urgent challenges and reiterated India's support for Myanmar's democratic transition process, emphasising the need for peace and stability. India plans to coordinate its policy closely with ASEAN on this matter. 

During his time in Bangkok, Jaishankar will participate in the 12th Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the Mekong Ganga Cooperation Mechanism and attend the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers' Retreat.