A tri-services delegation of senior Indian military officials on Sunday left for Myanmar as part of a first ever exchange programme, aimed at enhancing mutual trust between the forces of the two countries guarding a frontier of 1,640 km.
A group of 120 defence personnel from Myanmar are also visiting India as part of the exchange programme, a brainchild of Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat. The 78-member Indian delegation will interact with senior officials of Myanmar military, officials said.
The Indian Air Force will be facilitating the travel of the Myanmarese military officials, some of whom are accompanied by their spouses, they said.
Myanmar is one of India’s strategic neighbours and shares the 1,640-km border with a number of Northeastern states including militancy-hit Nagaland and Manipur.
Gen. Rawat has been pushing for deeper coordination between the armies of the two countries.
The simultaneous visits by the personnel of the armed forces of the two countries are aimed at ensuring ground-level military cooperation.
The move comes at a time when China has been trying to expand its influence over Nay Pyi Taw even as both Beijing and New Delhi are the only powers who have backed Myanmar amid international pressure for the so called atrocities against the Rohingyas.
India has been raising with Myanmar its concerns over certain insurgent outfits of North Eastern region having bases inside its territory and asked that country to take action against them. Myanmar, on its part, has been assuring India that it would not allow any insurgent group to use its territory against India.
In June, 2015, the Indian Army had carried out an operation in areas near the Indo-Myanmar border against the NSCN (K) terrorists, days after terrorists had killed 18 Army personnel in Manipur.