To provide a boost to India's defence ties with Myanmar, Army chief General Deepak Kapoor today left for Yangon on a three-day visit to meet his counterpart and other government officials there and discuss issues concerning South Asian security.
Kapoor's visit to Yangon, ruled at present by a military junta, comes at a time when China has unveiled plans to construct a railway line up to its border with Myanmar. "The visit is to enhance mutual military-to-military cooperation between India and Myanmar. We have always had close ties with them, including in counter-insurgency training," an Army official said here. In the past too, chiefs of the armed forces of both the countries have visited each other.
In November 2005, the then Indian Army chief General JJ Singh and later in January 2006, Navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash in January 2006 visited Mayanmar. In February 2005, Myanmarese Navy chief Vice Admiral Soe Thein visited India.
Located between China and the Bay of Bengal, Myanmar is of a greater geo-strategic value to India, as it could become a gateway to the Indian Ocean and the Malacca Straits for Beijing.
Myanmar has shared greater relations with China than India and Beijing provides it major help in modernizing several Naval dockyards including the Coco Islands.
