The minister of external affairs, S. Jaishankar, meets Than Shwe, his counterpart from Myanmar, to discuss connectivity projects, particularly the trilateral highway connecting India, Myanmar, and Thailand.
They emphasized the significance of maintaining tranquility and stability in border regions. The Myanmar Foreign Minister and EAM Jaishankar met on Saturday after the latter’s arrival in Bangkok for the Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Mechanism meeting. During the meeting, Jaishankar also raised the human and drug trafficking issues.
EAM Jaishankar said on Twitter, “Met H.E. U Than Swe on the sidelines of the Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) meeting in Bangkok today. Our discussions focused on connectivity initiatives that have a larger regional significance. These will also be discussed at the MGC meeting this afternoon. Stressed the importance of expediting projects that have faced challenges in the recent past, especially the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway. Underlined the importance of ensuring peace and stability in our border areas. These have been seriously disturbed recently and any actions that aggravate the situation should be avoided.”
Highways stretching over 1,300 kilometers are now being built and after completion, they will strengthen commercial relations between Myanmar and Thailand while also maximizing possibilities for transport and tourism.
Regional integration and increased connectivity are potential benefits of the trilateral highway connecting India, Myanmar, and Thailand. The extension of the route to Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam has also been suggested by India.
Jaishankar next met Don Pramudwinai, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and foreign minister, after speaking with Than Swe.
“Continuing our conversations from Jakarta. Pleased to meet Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai of Thailand today. Look forward to the Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) meeting this afternoon,” Jaishankar tweeted.
