NEW DELHI, March 4: India backs a Myanmar-led and Myanmar-owned peace process that can ensure lasting peace and development for all communities in the Southeast Asian nation, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Wednesday.
Speaking virtually at the inauguration of the Sarsobeikman Literary Centre building in Yangon, constructed with India’s assistance, Jaishankar reiterated New Delhi’s support for an inclusive peace process led by the people of Myanmar. “We support an inclusive, Myanmar-led and Myanmar-owned peace process that can deliver lasting peace and development for all in Myanmar,” he said.
Highlighting the importance India attaches to its ties with Myanmar, the minister noted that the country lies at the confluence of India’s three key foreign policy priorities — Neighbourhood First, Act East, and MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions), including the Indo-Pacific.
Myanmar is one of India’s strategic neighbours, sharing a 1,640-km border with several northeastern states, including Nagaland and Manipur. The country has been facing political turmoil since the military seized power in a coup on February 1, 2021, followed by widespread protests and unrest.
Jaishankar said India, as the world’s largest democracy with 1.4 billion people, has regularly shared its experiences in federalism and constitutionalism with stakeholders in Myanmar.
On development cooperation, he emphasised that India’s engagement with Myanmar has been people-centric and demand-driven, focusing on strengthening local economies and improving livelihoods through political, trade, security and cultural cooperation.
The minister also underscored the deep historical and cultural ties between the two countries, stating that India and Myanmar have long been connected by spirituality, kinship, geography, language and literature. He noted that as Buddhism and the Pali language spread across South Asia, they carried with them a shared intellectual and cultural heritage that continues to bind the two nations.
