Finance
Myanmar President U Min Aung Hlaing arrived in Gaya in Bihar on Saturday as he kicked off his five-day visit to India. He then offered prayers at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya.
Taking to X, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “Strengthening civilisational links with our neighbour! A warm welcome to President U Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar on his arrival in Bodh Gaya. He was received by Hon’ble Governor Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd.) at the airport.”
“The visit reflects the strong spiritual, historical and people-to-people ties that bind our two countries and the depth of our ongoing cooperation,” the Ministry added.
The Myanmar President will also visit the Mahabodhi Ekta Dhamma Monastery later in the day.
During his visit, President U Min Aung Hlaing will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 1 on further strengthening the ties between the two countries, according to the MEA.
This is President U Min Aung Hlaing’s first visit to India after assuming office.
U Min Aung Hlaing will also participate in a business forum in India. For his visit, he will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising several cabinet ministers, senior officials and business leaders.
On June 2, he will also travel to Mumbai for business and industry interactions and site visits.
“Myanmar lies at the confluence of India’s Neighbourhood First, Act East and MAHASAGAR policies. The official visit of President U Min Aung Hlaing to India is expected to further strengthen and deepen the multi-faceted relations between the two countries,” the MEA said in a statement.
Kirti Vardhan Singh, Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs, paid a visit to Myanmar in April to witness U Min Aung Hlaing’s inauguration as President.
On April 10, Singh met with U Min Aung Hlaing and presented him with a message of congratulations from Prime Minister Modi on his appointment as Myanmar’s President. He reaffirmed India’s commitment to enhancing bilateral cooperation under its ‘Neighbourhood First’, ‘Act East’, and ‘MAHASAGAR’ policies, as well as providing developmental aid to Myanmar’s people.
U Min Aung Hlaing was elected Myanmar’s president on April 3. In the days immediately up to his election, he resigned as Commander-in-Chief, having ruled the country since 2021 following a military coup.
During the SCO Summit in Tianjin, China, in August of last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Min Aung Hlaing, Chairman of Myanmar’s State Security and Peace Commission, to discuss bilateral relations.
Source: IANS
