India will assist Myanmar in the resettlement of the Rohingya refugees who will soon be returning to the Rakhine state following an agreement between Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Under their first Government-to-Government pact signed by India and Myanmar on Wednesday, New Delhi will assist in the socio-economic development and livelihood initiatives in the Rakhine state. This includes building prefabricated houses and setting up self-help groups to generate employment and economic activities for the returning refugees.
“This is intended to help the Government of Myanmar achieve its objective of restoration of normalcy in Rakhine state and enable the return of displaced persons,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.
The MoU on Rakhine state Development Programme was signed between Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Myanmar Deputy Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, U Soe Aung in Nay Pyi Taw. Jaishankar is on an official tour to Myanmar for a follow-up on decisions taken during the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Myanmar, as well as matters pertaining to the Rakhine state.
Jaishankar has called on State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Union Minister in State Counsellor’s Office U Kyaw Tint Swe and Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr Win Myat Aye.
last month, Bangladesh and Myanmar signed an agreement for the repatriation of nearly 6 lakh Rohingya refugees who have taken shelter in Bangladesh following a military crackdown in Myanmar. The two countries have formed a 30-member Joint Working Group to oversee the repatriation of these refugees.
A number of other ongoing friendship projects were reviewed during Jaishankar’s visit. These included issues regarding the operation and maintenance of Sittwe port and the road from Paletwa- Zorinpui, the Rhi- Tiddim road project, the Trilateral Highway road from Kalewa to Yargyi, the project to build 69 bridges on the Tamu-Kyigone-Kalewa road, the Yamethin Police Training Centre and hospital projects, etc.
Jaishankar also met the Commander in Chief of the Myanmar Defence Services, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing during which matters relating to security, bilateral cooperation as well as the situation in Northern Rakhine State were discussed.