Context: India-Myanmar relations are rooted in shared historical, ethnic, cultural and religious ties. A number of agreements enhancing bilateral Cooperation have been signed between the two countries. High level visits have been a regular feature of India-Myanmar relations for several years. And talking about visits, Foreign secretary Harsh Shringla and Indian Army chief Gen MM Naravane where in Mynamar this week on a two-day visit. They met Myanmar’s state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi for talks on taking forward bilateral relations in a wide range of areas. Shringla and Naravane discussed “important bilateral issues” during their meeting with Suu Kyi, the Indian embassy said in a tweet without giving further details. 
Key Points

• Health and Pandemic: As a part of India’s Medical or Drug Diplomacy a package of 3,000 vials of the antiviral Remdesivir given to assist Myanmar in its fight against the pandemic.
• India has shown willingness to prioritise Myanmar in sharing Covid -19 vaccines, when available.
• Infrastructure and Connectivity: Operationalisation of the crucial Sittwe port in Myanmar’s Rakhine state by March 2021 is committed.
• The two sides also discussed progress in the ongoing Indian-assisted infrastructure projects such as the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway and the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project. The project will link Kolkata to Sittwe in Myanmar and then from Myanmar’s Kaladan river to India’s north-east.

Security: India has been concerned over some militant groups like the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) from the North-East region taking shelter in Myanmar.

• Myanmar handed over 22 cadres of Indian insurgent groups in May 2020.
• The maintenance of security and stability in their border areas and mutual commitment not to allow their respective territories to be used for activities inimical to each other were re-stressed.
• Transition to Democracy: Myanmar successfully conducted the 4th meeting of the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference in Nay Pyi Taw.
• The Union Peace Conference: 21st Century Panglong is a continuing peace conference started in 2016.
• Aim: To have a stable political environment in Myanmar with peaceful transition into democracy.
• Outcome of 4th meeting: The government of Myanmar and ten armed ethnic groups signed a framework agreement for the National Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).
• Indian Support: India assured continued support in sharing experiences in constitutionalism and federalism to assist Myanmar in its democratic transition.
• Rohingya Issues: India came forward for support for ensuring safe, sustainable and speedy return of Rohingya refugees from refugees camps of Bangladesh.
• Building on the progress made under the Rakhine State Development Programme (RSDP), India proposed to finalise projects under phase-III of the programme, including setting up of a skills training centre and upgrading of agricultural mechanisation.
• Liaison Office: With the formal inauguration of liaison office in Nay Pyi Taw, India has taken one more significant step towards establishing its embassy in Nay Pyi Taw.
• India has its embassy in Yangon, the former capital.

Other Highlights

• A bust of Bal Gangadhar Tilak in Mandalay Jail is a symbolic gesture for a closer relationship and understanding mutual existence.
• Mandalay Jail Connection: Between 1908 and 1914, he spent 6 years in Mandalay Prison for defending the actions of revolutionaries Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki.
• Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki had tried to assassinate the District Judge, Mr. Kingsford by throwing bombs at the carriage in which he was supposed to travel.
• Investment: With investments of over USD 1.2 billion, Myanmar has the highest Indian investment in any country in South Asia.
• India's development cooperation in Myanmar is estimated at USD 1.4 billion.
• Energy: The two countries are also expanding partnership in the area of energy cooperation.
• Recently, India approved an investment of over USD 120 million in the Shwe Oil and Gas project.

Why is Myanmar important to India?

• Myanmar is important to India from a geopolitical point of view as it geographically stands at the crossroads of India-Southeast relations. 
• Myanmar is the only Southeast Asian country that shares a land border with northeastern India, stretching some 1,624 kilometers. The neighbors also share a 725-km maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal.
• Being the only country that sits at the intersection of India’s “Neighborhood First” policy and its “Look East” policy, Myanmar is an essential element in India’s practice of regional diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific and serves as a land bridge to connect South Asia and Southeast Asia. 
• In recognition of this importance, Myanmar was given the status of observer in SAARC in August 2008.
• It is therefore in India’s interest to see Myanmar prevail as a stable and autonomous country, thereby making possible greater bilateral engagement in India-Myanmar relations.
• The 5 B’s: A bridge between South Asia and Southeast Asia, Myanmar has loomed large on India’s diplomatic horizon. 
• Blending business, culture, and diplomacy, there is a strong connection between the two countries. 
• Buddhism, Business, Bollywood, Bharatnatyam, and Burma teak— these are the five Bs that frame India-Myanmar relations in the popular imagination. 
• Moving beyond this rich configuration, the relations are now acquiring greater economic weight and strategic orientation. 
• The importance of Myanmar for India is all-too-obvious: India and Myanmar share a long land border of over 1600 km and a maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal.

Key Facts

• What is the relation between India and Myanmar?
• Both India and Myanmar share a heritage of religious, linguistic and ethnic ties fostered by centuries 
• When did Burma separate from India?
• The British separated Burma Province from British India in 1937 and granted the colony a new constitution calling for a fully elected assembly, with many powers given to the Burmese, but this proved to be a divisive issue as some Burmese felt that this was a ploy to exclude them from any further Indian reforms.
• Which act separated Burma from India?
• The Government of Burma Act 1935 confirmed that separation would occur on April 1, 1937, ending 51 years of the country being ruled as a province of India.

Road Ahead

• Myanmar is very important neighbour of India and holds a very significant place in India's scheme of things. Ties have changed for the better over the last 3 decade; Insurgency in the North- East which was  the major problem for India has been dealt with effectively in recent years; thanks to Myanmar cooperation, over the last 5-6 years there has been hyper activity in the relationship and it reach new heights. Implementation of projects has been a issue and continues to be a problem we need to deal with this speed of our projects in Myanmar and need to implement them according to plan. Rohangiyas issue is going to be a complex problem as well but it has being addressed jointly by India-Myanmar and Bagladesh.

Also Watch: https://abhipedia.abhimanu.com/Article/IAS/MTk4OTEx/India-Myanmar-Thailand-Trilateral-Highway-India-and-the-world-IAS