NEW DELHI, Oct 15 - India on Thursday confirmed that it is gifting a submarine to Myanmar, the country�s first as part of its Saagar initiative.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Anurag Srivastava said India will be delivering Kilo Class submarine INS Sindhuvir to the Myanmar Navy, which will be its first submarine. �This is in accordance with our vision of Saagar, which is security and growth,� he said.
Meanwhile, India has received an invitation to participate in a donor conference on Rohingya refugees to be organised by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, in which the US, UK and European Union countries are likely to participate.
�India as a neighbour of both Bangladesh and Myanmar has high stakes and wants early and safe resolution of the displaced people in Rakhine State,� said Srivastava.
India has also given a grant of USD 2 million for construction of border haats between Chin State in Myanmar and Mizoram, the spokesman said.
Sources said both sides have been in discussion to establish a high-capacity, high-voltage grid inter-connection between the Indian power grid and the Myanmar grid. Discussions were also held on low-voltage radial inter-connections between the Northeastern States and Myanmar.
The sources said that the India-Myanmar Border Area Development MoU has yielded good results. The MoU that provides for USD 5 million each year over a period of five years has been extended till 2022.
The projects, including those undertaken in Chin State and Naga self-administered zone, have been known to deliver enormous benefits to the people and empowering the local communities.
India has also proposed to construct an oil refinery in Thanlyn region near Yangon. According to sources, the project would be a win-win arrangement for both the countries and it would involve an investment of about USD 6 billion. As of now, Indian Oil Corporation Limited has evinced interest in the project.
Referring to the visit of Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Indian Army chief MM Naravane, the MEA spokesman said the visit gave a chance to review the bilateral relations at a high level. General Naravane and Shringla had called on State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. General Naravane had also met Vice Senior General Soe Win, Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Myanmar Armed Services, while Shringla met U Soe Han, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
