Motor vehicle pact with Myanmar next year
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 08 2017:
A motor vehicle agreement between India and Myanmar will be signed some time next year .
This was conveyed by Indian Ambassador to Myanmar, Vikram Misri when a team led by Convenor of Operationalisation on Act East Policy, RK Shivachandra and MLA Susindro (Yaima) called on him at Yangon today .
Once the agreement is signed it will facilitate movement of vehicles from either side of the two countries with much ease and it will also open the door for movement of cargoes across the border, said the Ambassador .
On the proposal of RK Shivachandra to introduce a Yangon to Imphal flight service at least once a week, Vikram Misri said that the matter has been put at the level of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Civil Aviation Ministry .
The Ambassador said that under Udhan Scheme, flight service may be operationalised between Kalimiyo and Mandalay with the North Eastern States and suggested that the Chief Minister of Manipur take up the matter with the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Ministry .
On the suggestion of MLA Susindro that land route be made permit free during the month of November to freely enable the Chief Ministers of States in Myanmar which have a sizeable population of Meiteis in the coming Sangai Festival scheduled to be held from November 20, the Indian Ambassador said that though the matter lies with the Union Home Ministry, he will put up the matter with the Government of Myanmar as it would be beneficial to the two countries .
Journalist from Manipur, Shivadutta who was also a part of the team suggested that an interaction programme between media persons of Myanmar and Manipur be held at Yangon/ Mandalay or Imphal with permission from the Press Council of India.
If not an interaction programme then an academic discourse may be conducted, suggested Shivadutta .
To this suggestion, the Ambassador suggested the newly formed Committee on Act East Policy to initiate the matter and added that every December the Yangon School of Journalism send students to the North East States to familiarise themselves with the region .
The meeting with the Ambassador lasted for about an hour.